Hate Me
by IHearVoices
Summary: This is a dark story to make you think. It stars Shukaku no Gaara, and is about what happens when the insane meets the delicate. Mild violence, a few shocks.
1. Scar 1: Falling

Hate Me

A Naruto fan fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Scar 1: Falling 

"Argh!"

"Shut-up."

The man wailed in pain, grasping his arm, his eyes clenched and his neck stretched back to the point where you could see the veins. He was lying on the floor, his chest lifted up. He was coated in thick blood, all his own, and the arm he was grasping was almost severed. His killer stood over him, watching the man die. First, he continued to wail, and then, blood began to seep out of his mouth and he coughed incessantly over and over, his eyes wide and then clenched, a slight seizure of shock and pain wracking his body. Finally, he stopped moving, and countless amounts of blood began flowing out of his mouth. He had choked on his own blood, from countless punctured organs.

His killer just stared at him blankly, and then walked away. Even though he had just brutally murdered a man, all he thought of was, _'That one's going to stink up the house.' _

His victim was what seemed like the millionth in a long line of assassins sent to kill him. Pity most of them never even survived long enough to give their little speeches.

The killer took a swig of water out of a glass, and rubbed his black-etched eyes. The sun was rising, and the bright light hurt his eyes after the long hours of darkness. He acted as if nothing had happened in the early morning, and, almost humorously, he wasn't even in proper gear. He had on a shirt and shorts, and the shirt was too big, and his hair was messy; yet, despite the fact that he had just slaughtered a man in his sitting room, he continued his morning as usual: get a drink of water, use the restroom, pull on his normal clothes, wash his face, brush his teeth, and meditate. It was almost annoying how lightly he took his latest disgusting action. Obviously, death didn't faze him.

Finally, he walked into his living room, after meditating, and scratched his head, wondering if he should take the time to bury this one, or just burn it. _'Burn it. You won't need wood in this desert anyway.'_ The thought seemed logic enough, so he then proceeded to hoist the body over his shoulder, throw it out in front of his house, pile wood on him, and spread oil all over the body and the wood. With a flick of his fingers, a burning match hit the pile, and the fire spread across like a disease. _'Shame he had to already be dead.'_

After looking at the body a moment, he went back inside and started to clean up the mess and change his now blood-soaked shirt.

To his dismay, his house now smelt like a dead person, and he hated that smell. The process was enjoyable; the aftermath, however, was an annoyance.

Little did he know, he annoyance was about to deepen.

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"Yes, yes, Tsunade-sama." Kazekage had addressed the woman with her name, which annoyed the Hokage a bit, but he did try to sound respectful.

"You get him here, and I'll take care of the rest." Tsunade replied, "Remember, this means peace and alliance for five years, including the ability to enter and leave your village with a passport given by me, and, since you require such a high price, I expect all passports into my village for your ninjas be approved by me as well as you, since I still do not trust your judgment; and Gaara, if not able to control himself, will be killed if need be."

"Yes, I understand." Kazekage replied. The two sat in Tsunade's wooden office, kneeling on mats and drinking tea at the Japanese-style table.

"Sign here."

Tsunade slid the papers and the pen across the table, where Kazekage read over them and then signed.

She smiled, and said, "Nice to see you, Kazekage."

"As you, Tsunade-sama."

Kazekage stood, and left, wondering how in the hell he was going to get his youngest son to leave.

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"Sakura-chan! Wait up!"

Naruto ran up to Sakura, and linked his arms through hers. Their jackets made no sound, and Sakura didn't seem to mind. As of late, Naruto had been one who liked to link arms and take long walks; not that he liked her! He had Hinata, and he was much more affectionate toward her. Sakura was like an older sister to him.

"So, how's it going?" Sakura asked. In the past year, she had cut her hair short, so it was only a few inches longer than Hinata's, and she brushed it behind her ear with a cold hand. The fall had hit them like a slap in the face, and now everyone walked around in jackets, pants, boots and sometimes hats and scarves.

Sakura was now sixteen, with bright green eyes, thick lashes, a sweet face, and was the shortest around, with the exception of Hinata, who was the same height as her. Naruto, now almost seventeen, had gotten a lot taller and his muscle was beginning to be evident, but he was still very hyper, still had his unruly blonde hair, and bright blue eyes.

"I took Hinata to the forest to train." He replied, "She's getting so good, Sakura! I even taught her how to use double substitution."

"Wow. That's great; isn't she trying to be a medic-nin?"

"Yea! And she's going to be the best one there is!"

Naruto smiled, and Sakura laughed.

"You're so happy, Naruto-kun."

Naruto frowned. "Is that a bad thing?"

"No, silly!" Sakura elbowed him, and motioned for him to lean down. "Besides, I bet Hinata-chan thinks is _sexy_."

"No way!" Naruto turned his head away. "That's just weird! Hinata thinks it's funny, not _sexy_!"

Sadly, he shouted this for the whole street to hear.

Rolling her eyes, Sakura kicked him and hissed, "Don't be so loud! We're in public!"

"Ouch! That hurt!"

"So _stop being so loud_!"

The two had been strolling down Market Street, one of the daily most crowded streets in Konoha, where merchants set up booths and shouted deals to sell things, and stores were always open. Crowds were thick and vast, and mothers always held their children's hands tightly as not to loose them in the stream of consumers.

"Sorry, Sakura-chan."

Naruto paused a moment, looking at the booths, and then asked, "So, where are you going, Sakura-chan?"

"I was summoned by Hokage."

"Oh, that old hag? She's such a pain!" Naruto exclaimed, and frowned. "Why does _she_ want to see you?"

"First of all, Naruto, don't talk about our Hokage that way." Sakura lectured, waving her finger at him as they continued to walk, arms loosely linked, "Second of all, stop speaking so loud!"

"Fine," Naruto whispered, "Now, what does she want?"

"Something about a long-term mission."

"You're leaving!" he shouted, his eyes wide, which was quickly met by a hard kick.

"Ouch!"

"Stop being so loud! I don't know the details, okay?"

"Okay." Naruto replied calmly; and then, all of the sudden, he declared, "Then I'm coming with you, because I want to know if that old hag is going to send you away!"

Sakura rolled her eyes.

He is so weird.

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"Gaara."

"What?"

"I have an order from father."

"Tell him he can kiss my ass." Gaara's reply was swift and short, and he quickly walked away. He had come to town for food, only to be greeted by his sister, who seemed to be shaking in fear. Which of course told him it was bad news.

"Gaara! Please!" Temari shouted. She raced up to him, and grabbed his sleeve in desperation. "I have to tell you this-just, hear me out."

Gaara paused, and then said, "Father said he would kill you if you didn't, didn't he?"

"Yea." Temari nodded, and then explained, "He made a deal with Konoha. You're to move there now."

"And he made a deal like that without me?" Gaara hissed.

"Listen! He said that you would be better off there, since they have more missing-nins and missions to go on. Right now, our country is on its knees! We are kissing ass more than we are killing."

His eyes narrowed.

"Temari, if I wanted more people to kill, I would've already killed you."

Then he jerked his sleeve free and began to walk faster, until Temari appeared in front of him.

"That's where Uzumaki Naruto and the Uchihas are."

Gaara stopped cold on this, the happenings of two years ago rushing at him.

Then he quickly left.

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The bodyguard opened the door with a bow at the ninjas, and Sakura and Naruto stepped in. The two were both silent and their lips formed thin lines. Sakura bowed respectively, and Naruto rolled his eyes as he bowed.

"Sit." Tsunade instructed, and the two kneeled on the mats. Then Tsunade kneeled. They were all kneeling around the same table and on the same mats that Tsunade and Kazekage had kneeled on while making the deal, and later on, the idea sickened some.

"Thank you for coming, Haruno-san, and for pulling on such special clothes for me." Tsunade smiled lightly. She knew Sakura was most comfortable in her ripped and worn clothes, but for this meeting, Sakura had on a green shirt that went down to her knees, like what she had worn when she was little except it wasn't red, it's sleeves were like a kimono's and it had different symbols. She had also pulled on black pants underneath, black boots, and her headband was around her head. Her jacket was over her arm.

"But I'm afraid I cannot thank you for bringing our village idiot along with you."

Tsunade added curtly, and sipped her tea.

"WHY YOU-"

"Shut-up, Naruto."

She punched him in the head.

"OUCH! THAT HURT!"

"I _said_, shut-up."

Tsunade stifled a laugh at the two, amazed at how much like a brother and sister they were. _'Well, it looks like you got a family anyway, Naruto.'_

"Hokage-sama, may I ask what my mission is?" Sakura asked, respectful as always, while Naruto rubbed the new bruise on his head and scowled.

"Since you have an uncanny ability for foreign relations, I have assigned you to helping and assimilating a foreigner who is going to start living here." Tsunade explained, "I believe you've met him before."

Then she took a sip of her tea, and turned around.

"Come on out, Gaara!" she called.

And out arose the murderer, who stared at the group with dark, guarded eyes. He came from behind a curtain, dressed in what he had always wore, only now, a coat hung over his arm.

"Haruno-san, meet Shukaku no Gaara, you're new house guest."

Naruto's face was quickly twisted in outrage, while Sakura's mouth fell open.

Oh, God-forbid.

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Hey ya'll!

Some of you may know me from the mushy story I'm currently still updating, Day to Day. This story, which is already written but only waiting to be put on fan fiction, is where I put a lot of my dark thoughts. I'm not all happy and mushy…I have too much of my style and interests to be all one-way. I have some gothic flare to me, and this is how this story comes in. I've worked on this for four months, so hopefully its really good! Don't let the beginning fool you, though…this story will end up being a lot about Gaara, and getting inside his mind. Your biggest challenge of all as the readers is to question. I want you to think! In the end, I won't spell it out for you. Be creative! Try and get inside his head, figure out what makes him tick and predict what will be revealed next!

Have fun,

Review,

_-IHearVoices _


	2. Interlude of the Senses: Piece 1

Hate Me

A Naruto Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

(A/N: IMPORTANT! I experimented with another style of writing while writing this…so every other chapter, I will post an 'Interlude of the Senses'. These interludes will take place in the past, and will either be the memories of Sakura or Gaara. Sometimes they're short, sometimes they're long. Try and use these as clues!)

_Interlude of the Senses: Piece 1_

The sands of Gaara's home were always changing with the winds. When he was bored, he would take some of the tiny grains in the palm of his hand and look at the individual pieces, studying them until the wind whisked them out of his palm with a mighty gust.

They always left, just like the night left and welcomed the day, his uncle came and betrayed him, and his sister held him close and then ran away in fear. Nothing was forever. Ever.

One night he was out alone in the desert. It was the first day of his travel from all he had ever known, an adventure to find something that would last forever. In the desert, the days were hot and horrible to bear if you were not used to its brutal conditions, but at night, with no light or intense heat, it dropped below zero. His sand coated him in layers to keep him warm as he walked, but he still shivered. Nothing could be more horrible than being cold, and being alone.

He had just become a jounin, and was only fourteen; yet, he expected nothing from life, and certainly not a tomorrow. After all, who would miss him?

But he had to show himself that it was real.

He had to prove to himself that he was worth it.

_That it was there_.


	3. Scar 2: Insomnia

Hate Me

A Naruto fan fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Scar 2: Insomnia

"HE CAN'T LIVE WITH SAKURA-CHAN! HE'D KILL HER!" Naruto yelled, standing and pointing an accusing finger at him.

"Naruto, settle down! I have his word that he will not kill Haruno-san."

"AND YOU THINK YOU CAN TRUST _HIM_?"

"Shut-up and sit down Naruto."

Everyone looked at Sakura, who had suddenly become quiet and very serious.

"But, Sakura-chan-"

"Sit down, Naruto."

Naruto cocked his head in disgust. "No. I won't. And I won't let him stay with you. Want to know why? Because he's a murderer, and I won't let him even try and kill you."

"What do you care?" Gaara asked.

Naruto looked up, and walked up to Gaara until their noses almost touched. The two were equal in height. Despite Naruto's effort to intimidate him, Gaara never moved nor flinched.

"Want to know why, you crazed murderer; because Sakura-chan is special to me. She's like my sister! And if you even so much as lay a hand on her I swear I'll-"

"Naruto, stop!" Tsunade ordered, her voice stern.

"Oh, shut-up, you old hag!" he shouted, "It's not like you even care about Sakura! You just want someone to help a killer!"

Sakura stood, and walked over to Naruto.

"We're all killers, Naruto. Just because he's killed more and in a different way doesn't make him any worse than us."

The entire time, Gaara had watched the three leaf ninjas, his mind trying to figure out what was going on. What did Naruto care about her? What does she care about him? The whole thing was stupid.

"Right," Naruto hissed, "but we kill to protect. He kills for pleasure."

"Then let this be my test. I'm strong, Naruto, you know that. So stop worrying, and go home. I'll see you for training tomorrow." Sakura's words were hard with stubbornness and finalization.

After her speech, Naruto realized that she wasn't backing out, and he resigned silently, scowling. He grabbed his coat, and then turned, and glared at Gaara.

"If you kill her, I'll find you, I'll slowly torture you, and then hang you on a cross so the vultures can slowly eat you alive."

Then he slammed the door and stomped off.

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"I can't tell who's the horrible killer anymore." She joked, "Even Ino and Rock Lee give disgusting death threats."

Tsunade nodded. "Yes. Ninjas tend to be quiet graphic, especially the boys."

Gaara just stood there in a never-ending silence.

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The silence was deafening.

Sakura walked through the crowd, Gaara close behind. She couldn't believe her mission, but after all of Naruto's protests, she was filled with determination. No one said she couldn't do something, _no one_. Although this was only one reason, it was the only privet one, and one of her temporary burning forces. Later she would consent to something nobler.

Finally, since she was sick of taking the long way without anyone to talk to, she stopped and turned. Her green eyes met his green eyes, and she stifled a shiver.

"How fast can you run?"

"How fast can _you_ run?"

With a slight smirk, Sakura took off, hopping off of the cloth roof of a fruit stand. The two were only visible for split seconds, where they hopped from the branch of one tree to another. Turns out, Gaara was just as fast, and ran along side her.

The two took glances at each other, and over and over, Sakura had to stop herself from shivering.

Finally, Sakura leaped down from an extremely high tree, and landed in front of the red door to an apartment complex.

Gaara appeared behind her.

Sakura turned to the intercom, and then remembered her joke with Rock Lee. She giggled, and punched in his room number, 556.

Although Sakura was never one to be around the raving lovesick lunatic, she had trained with him quiet often as of late; as well as Neji. The three had had quiet the days with Lee, which was for sure…

Smiling, Sakura pushed the button, and said, "My darling, my dear, dear darling, will you open the sparkling gates so I can enter my castle?"

There was static, and then Rock Lee answered, "Oh, my goodness! Is this the fair Princess?"

"Why, my darling, it is! So open the gate!"

Then she burst out laughing, while Gaara just lifted an eyebrow.

"Of course, but first, my dear Princess, you must agree to go to on a beautiful, romantic moonlit walk with me, and I will treat you to the fanciest of all restaurants!"

Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Lee, please just open the door for me."

"Oh, fine, fair princess. I shall wait for when thee is ready for my romance."

Then the door buzzed, and it unlocked with a short _click_.

"Thank you ever so much, my dear."

She laughed, and walked, followed by a confused Gaara.

"What the hell was all that?"

Sakura stopped cold, and then smacked herself in the head. She had forgotten Gaara was there, and in less than a second too! _'Well, that's a really stupid record.' _

"Oh, it's, uh, a joke with Rock Lee. It's nothing!" She shook her head, and then turned away from him and started bounding up the stairs. "Come on! My room is up here!"

Gaara had silently followed, his eyes narrowing. She was very strange; no one had ever been so casual around him, not even his uncle. He just wasn't used to people being so carefree.

With his bag tossed casually over his shoulder, he walked up the stairs behind her, each one taking casual steps, and with her always looking ahead. The halls of the stairways were most intriguing. They were covered in graffiti, but instead of looking trashy, it seemed to give color and an artsy look to the blank, metal stairway. Some of it was spray painted on with bright color; some of it was crayon or marker. In huge red letters on the second floor was STOP, in thick crayon. All of the words were all different phrases; one, in blue spray paint, was the Japanese kanji for 'killer'; another was in pink paint and said, 'REAL MEN WEAR PINK', which he smirked at, wondering just how many gay men were in this apartment building. (A/N: personally, I don't mind it when guys wear pink. But Gaara's very masculine)

Finally, Sakura opened a large green door with the silver mailbox number six hanging off of it. She pushed it open with a heave, and waved him in after her. Gaara just followed, his face stony as always.

The door shut behind them with a slam, and the two began to walk down the hallway, which was narrow and covered with graffiti like the stairway, with a long line of green doors on the right. They passed by apartments 688, 689, and so on, until Sakura stopped at 692, and shoved her key in the lock, turning it until it opened with a click. She then turned the key and jerked it out with a _ruunnnk _sound, and shoved it in her pocket again. As she opened the door, she looked back at him and smiled lightly, just as a way to lighten the suffocating silence.

Of course, Gaara was used to that kind of silence.

Without saying thank you to Sakura for opening the door for him, he walked inside, and looked around the apartment.

It had bright colored walls, white ceilings, hard wood floors, a little living room in front and kitchen the right, and one door on the left, and two on either side of the TV and stereo in front of the couch.

"You're room's this way." She said, and walked to the door to the left in front of the door. She pushed it open, and said, "It's my training room, so it's really messy right now, but I can clean it up before you go to bed." By now the door was open all the way, and Gaara lifted one curiously perfect eyebrow at the mess.

There were blood stains on the wall, a rack of shuriken, a rack of swords, a stack of weights in the corner, another rack with kunai in it, some of them not even clean, a set of knobs on one wall that had a towel and a weapon polishing kit hanging on it, a set of mats, a training schedule taped to a wall, and a final cabinet with one door open, revealing it to be full of scrolls, probably with all kinds of jutsus in them.

"I hope the blood doesn't bother you too much." Sakura said sheepishly, as she kneeled down and started to roll up the mats. Gaara just stood behind her, looking around the room, and watching her pick up everything.

After a few minutes, the floor was clear, and Sakura walked up to the one wall that was wood panels, and grabbed a string that was hanging from it. As she began to pull it down farther and farther, he began to realize that it was a full size bed. It made a large zip sound when it finally hit the floor, and then a click.

"Make sure not to jump on it or anything; it might pop back up." She instructed, and then walked to the closet and opened the sliding door. Then she removed a stack of sheets, a blue blanket and two pillows. Under Gaara's watchful eye, she made the bed neatly, and then turned to face him for the first time in an almost six minutes.

"Well, that's it. If you need anything, let me know. You can keep your things in the closet, and if the bed pops back up, just pull the string." She smiled lightly, and then brushed past him out of the door. He looked behind him at her, watching her walk over and into what he assumed was her bedroom, her feet silent on the wood floors.

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The apartment was so silent and dark, and the only comfort seemed to be the stars shining from the sky behind the glass window. Everything near the window cast a shadow from the moon, and tiny dust particles floated in the air. He would swipe his hand through the dust, making it fly everywhere. At first, doing this seemed interesting enough, but not long enough to last all night. Sighing, he laid back on the bed, staring at the dark, black nothingness that should've been a ceiling. For now, it was just a pit, ready to suck him up into its nothingness, and then spit him out in another universe. He blew air out of his mouth, and turned to look at the wall, where he could faintly see through the darkness one rack of kunai and one rack of swords. He didn't have a lot of weapons, or much of anything for that matter. It was all about what he could carry on his back, and the sand was normally enough anyway.

At the thought of his sand, he looked over at his gourd, sitting in the corner. These days, he thought of his sand as a part of him, the only real thing anyone had ever given him. The chunin exams still haunted him; torturing him and making him wonder what was going on. Why did Sakura care so much? Why didn't someone care like that about him?

He sat up, and rubbed his face. 'I've got to stop thinking about stuff like that.' He told himself, and pulled his knees up to his chest. Crossing his arms over his legs, he put his face in his arms, and tried to think of something besides Sakura standing before him, bloody and beaten and tired, defending Sasuke's helpless body and Naruto. He hated that picture, that mental image burned in his mind. She seemed so different from him, so innocent and loved, yet so strong and determined; the best of both worlds. In raged at his inability to drive the image out of his head, he growled and stood. What was wrong with him?

As if like a child, a chill ran down his spine as he looked up at the ceiling, imagining himself being sucked up in it. Everything would be gone in an instant, and nothing would matter; not Shukaku, not his past, not his eyes, not even the chunin exams. Nothing. For a moment, it seemed welcoming. Nothing was better than the things he got; but nothing meant nothing to help you feel alive, to keep you in contact with reality and life. You would just float and forget, and probably die because you forgot to breathe in the complete and utter nothingness. With a tired sigh, he sat on the bed, and buried his face in his rough hands, and rubbed his face. He wasn't tired, but he was frustrated and annoyed. Of all the things that could happen, he had to be here, in Konoha, rooming with a girl he tried to kill. It had been bugging him all night that she seemed so confident about taking him in and teaching him the ways of a leaf ninja; wasn't she afraid, or at least angry? He had tried to viciously murder her precious comrades, and even her, but she had taken him in without fight or objection. Was it because Naruto thought she couldn't do it? He doubted it. That hardly seemed the reason-if it was, she would've approached him and laid it out on the table. She seemed too straightforward to be beating around the bush or hiding something.

He continued to hold his face in his hands and think, his mind wandering on all kinds of topics and things; there truly was no end to what one could contemplate.

"Gaara, are you awake?"

He looked up to see Sakura standing in the door way in her pajamas, her fingers laid casually across the wood of the doorway, and the side of her leaning against the doorframe. Her green pajama pants covered most of her feet and fell low on her hips, while her tank top was less than an inch above her pants and was loose enough to be comfortable and yet tight enough to hug her curves. Pink hair fell around her face, and her eyes looked drowsy and tired.

"Are you?" he asked.

Gaara was caught off guard by her visit; didn't she sleep? Wasn't she tired? He sat up right and looked at her, giving her his usual glare that he didn't even know he gave people any more; it was automatic.

"Couldn't sleep; I think I've got a bad case of the chills."

"What are the chills?"

She looked at him with a puzzled look, and then explained, "Gaara, the chills are like a cold, where your body temperature goes from really cold to really hot. People get it in the winter and fall all the time."

"We don't have winter and fall in the Village of the Sand; just dry and wet seasons." He replied. The last thing he was going to let Sakura think was that he was stupid.

"Okay," she said, and just shrugged. "Well, if you can't sleep either, you're welcome to come in the kitchen with me for some green tea." Then she walked off, letting the door close behind her.

Gaara was immediately enveloped in the darkness again, and he glared around at everything, contemplating whether to follow her or get sucked up by the ceiling. After a moment, he stood, and followed her out, his footsteps quiet and his face normal again.

He found her in the kitchen, waiting for two mugs of water to finish heating up in the microwave. Her back was to him, and she was reaching up in the cabinet for a jar of sugar.

"I knew you'd come." She said, and turned to face him after placing the sugar on the counter. Giving him a soft, tired smile, she asked, "So, why couldn't you sleep, hm, Mr. interrogator?"

Gaara didn't say anything. He just stared off through the bar to the living room, and wondered if he should answer her or not.

Finally, after a long silence, he said, "You should know that answer."

"Well, I don't." she replied, "And I hope it isn't that my training room isn't comfortable enough, because you're only other options are to find someone else or sleep on the couch."

The microwave beeped, and she opened its door with a pop and pulled out the mugs. He watched her place a tea bag and some sugar in each mug with her dainty fingers, and then brush some hair behind her ear. She was so delicate, so tiny and sweet compared to all the other ninjas. How could she even be a ninja, a killer? She was too innocent, too simple! His mind raced with questions, diving into pits of complete and utter curiosity and wonder at how such a dainty creature could kill people for a living.

So, he asked.

"What rank are you?"

She passed him the mug and said, "I'm a jounin. And watch the mug; it's really hot."

He nodded, and started to stir the tea with the spoon she had given him.

"What rank are you?" she asked. Her lips rounded as she blew the steam from the top of the mug. She rapped her hands around the warm mug, trying to get warm in the winter's chill that a heater could hardly save you from.

"Jounin, a few months after the chunin exams." He replied, and looked away from her and at the small living room again. Her? A jounin? Things were getting strange; this small creature, a jounin? How? Why?

"Naruto and Sasuke entered the month after the exams, but I waited. I was barely ready for the chunin exams, so I knew I needed to study and train before the jounin ones. Of course, both of those knuckle heads made it a month after the exams, and they're in ANBU now, and competing for a slot as a captain."

Sighing, she stirred her tea with a long silver spoon, making quaint clinking sounds, sometimes joined by Gaara's.

He had felt himself flinch at their names, and flashes of their battle in the forest would appear in his mind almost randomly.

The two sat in silence for the longest time, sipping tea and letting time float by. Gaara leaned against the counter, on hand on the edge of it with his elbow up, one leg bent and the other slanted, and his mug held in one hand. The whole position seemed to scream to Sakura how much he had grown up. He was so much taller now, with his body showing it's days of hard training and his eyes and face harder than before. His hands were more masculine than round like they were when he was twelve. It had been four years, and now he was sixteen, and he seemed even more threatening and mysterious than he did before. Like Sasuke, he carried a kind of mysteriousness that was enticing yet very strange at the same time, only his came with the spice of insanity, like something wasn't right, or he was just scary.

"Why are you letting me live here?"

Gaara's question piercing the silence like a silent arrow, and unnerved Sakura for a moment.

She looked at him, her bright green eyes meeting his cold green ones.

"Because it's my duty."

"That's shit. Tell me the truth."

"It's not shit. Unlike you, I do have a sense to duty and pride towards my village, and I do what my Hokage says."

Gaara's eyes widened a moment at the comment. Nobody ever talked to him that way; they were too scared!

"How dare you!" he exclaimed, "Why should I have a sense of pride to a village that hates me? Why should I have a sense of duty towards my bastard father? Do you even know why that idiot didn't want me living with you?"

"Yes." She replied with a kind of finality to her voice, which seemed to shake the world. "Naruto told me, and I heard some of it. That doesn't mean you call my reason shit. I love my village, and I obey my Hokage until death. I took an oath that I would, and I will." Despite her tiredness, she now seemed fully awake and annoyed.

"There has to be more than that."

"Why do you want more?" she asked, "Are you that desperate for a negative reason?" Her eyes bore into his dark green ones, her face a look of concern and confusion; something he didn't ever see. Then, she suddenly smiled a soft smile, and said, "You know, if you really think about it, you're not a bad person Gaara; people just make you out to be that way."

Gaara was stunned. His eyes were wide, and his hands gripped his cup and the edge of the counter until his knuckled turned white. _'What is this? What is her motivation? What happened? Does she just not fear me?'_ The last thought struck him as the pure truth, and his eyes narrowed in anger. How dare she not fear him!

In a swift movement, Gaara pinned the smaller girl against the counter, his nose touching hers as he sneered. "You think that I am not a threat to you? I could snap you in half like a twig." Sakura was shocked, and she grit her teeth at him.

"I'm not stupid, Gaara. I could sense your chakra. I know you're stronger, but so are Sasuke and Naruto, and I still compliment them. But obviously, you just can't handle someone being nice to you." She sneered the last sentence right back, and her fear was vanished. Naruto and Sasuke would avenge her, and that was enough.

_Smack _

Gaara's hand flew across her face, and without another word or glance, he let her go and began to walk to his bedroom. Sakura just stood there, shocked, holding her cheek with her hand, her mouth open and her eyes wide.

Some how, she knew things were going to be a lot harder than she imagined.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hey ya'll!

Here you are, scar two…and, contrary to popular belief, this isn't going to have a funny ending…although humor will litter it. And no, there won't really be romance…it depends on how you take it all, really. The truth is, I wrote this, trying to make it real. In real life, we don't just fall in love or anything…so that doesn't happen.

Thank you, my kind reviewers!

Broken Angel, Forgiven Devil (I'm glad you liked the dark humor…I hoping it will appear more later; I'm not even sure if its there! But no, Sakura and Gaara don't share a room, and it's from here on that it gets more serious. I tried to make this story very serious, but I guess I'm not serious enough to right all serious! Let me know what you think of this update!)

Rowan (I saw your email address! Gaara is my favorite character too! I'm assuming he's your favorite, but I jump conclusions! Glad you think of highly of this story, and let me know what you think of this update!)

Valindon Warrior (I'm so glad you have such high hopes for this! I hope I meet all those high hopes! And don't worry…this story has six scars, plus interludes between each one, and an epilogue!)

Queen Cow and Steak (I take it you like hamburgers…or are you more of a vegetarian? Anyway, thanks for the awesome comments! It means a lot! I guess you could say this is Gaara and Sakura…but I don't want to give anything away!)

Thanks,

Review,

Love,

IHearVoices 


	4. Interlude of the Senses: Piece 2

Hate Me

A Naruto Fan Fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

_Interlude of the Senses: Piece 2 _

In the back of her diary was a single rose, pressed between the pages. The red was fading into a dark black, and there was no stem, just the bud, and the green leaves that once curled around it from the bottom. "Sasuke's rose." She called it. Often times, she would open her diary and pick it out, examine it, holding it delicately in her palm or between her skinny fingers.

The rose came from her last mission with Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi. It was after they had all passed the chunin exams; they had all been so happy then, and Sasuke and Naruto didn't even fight as much. She could still remember how Naruto and Sasuke had wrestled on the side of the hill like two little boys, shouting, Naruto laughing. No matter how old they got, it was still so much fun to beat each other up and see who squealed "stop!" first. That day, Sasuke had won with a punch to Naruto's jaw, making it come out of place, so Kakashi had to snap it back in. "No fair!" he had screamed. "Yea it is." Sasuke had replied gruffly, "Rule number three: who ever snaps, dislocates, breaks or sprains any bones wins." "Hump."

Kakashi received the scroll, read it for a moment, and then passed it to Sasuke, who frowned deeply and passed it to Naruto. Once it got to Sakura, she was extremely nervous. What could be bad about it? Her eyes had scanned the scroll, and then widened dramatically. They had to kill an assassin, and his followers? The group had no official name; it was just sort of like the subcontractor to the Akatsuki. Not under their leader, but a sort of accomplice, and was influenced by the Akatsuki. Sasuke sighed and leaned back. "Ready to go?" The reply was nods and a few yeahs, and then the four stood, bags slung over their shoulders, and started to walk.

After three days, they found him, Mioshi Kyio and his bandits. They were camping in a forest at night, all sitting around a fire, laughing, two swigging sake, and Mioshi standing by himself up against a tree, smoking a cigarette with his eyes closed. Mioshi looked like a normal man, with the exception of the long, thick scar that ran over the bridge of his nose and across his right cheek, like someone had taken a jagged knife and dug it through his perfect tan skin. Sasuke was the first to strike; he threw two shuriken, one to each bandit's vital areas. Mioshi's eyes had widened, the bandits began to panic and take up defensive positions. Next was Naruto's turn; with a flash, he snapped the neck of the bandit closest to Mioshi, and, for some reason, took the other with him, alive and yelling. Of course, the yelling quickly stopped. Yet, even though his men were being picked off, Mioshi seemed relaxed, as if he knew what was going on. Sasuke took out the rest of them quickly and swiftly, and we all stayed hidden; but we all knew that something was up, and that Mioshi knew where we were. Suddenly, Mioshi disappeared, and reappeared next to Sakura. She screamed and thrashed at him with the kunai in her hand. His arms began to bleed heavily from blocking, and he growled and grabbed Sakura's arm despite its gashes. She kicked him and flipped backwards out of the tree, bringing the battle into the open area, while the males stayed hidden and watched carefully. The battle was too fast to be seen with the naked eye, so only Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi could see all that went on.

Turns out, Mioshi was tougher than he looked. After ten minutes, he had Sakura pinned to the ground, bleeding. Sasuke was about to jump when he heard and saw what Mioshi said and did next. "I guess girlies should stay home, hm?" he mused with a smirk, and bent his head over Sakura's face, as if to try to-

"ARGH!"

Sasuke and Naruto appeared at the same time, stabbing a log where Mioshi had once been. "Did you really think I'd rape a girl while you were near by?" Mioshi's voice echoed through the trees. Sasuke grit his teeth, and Naruto squeezed the shuriken in his hand. "How dare you…." Naruto hissed.

"How dare you?" Mioshi was suddenly in front of him, his eyes wide with insanity. Naruto immediately took the opportunity to stab him, only to barely rip his shirt.

Sakura was up by now in battle stance, ready to make sure he wouldn't pin her again.

"Hey girlie." Sakura's eyes widened as she heard the whisper in her ear, especially when a gasp and a shudder followed it. The limp body fell on her, and when she pushed it off his blood splattered across her arm. Mioshi lay dead on the ground, with a huge stab wound deep in his back, and behind where Mioshi used to stand, stood Sasuke. His face told of no emotion as usual, except a bit of annoyance, yet he was splattered in blood, and held a large, bloodied shuriken. "He really pissed the hell out of me."

It was the first time she had seen her Sasuke covered in blood, and not even any kind of rush, or surprise came to either one...

Just annoyance, like he didn't care that he had slaughtered a life.

Suddenly, she felt like she no longer knew Sasuke.

He had saved her…but she didn't know he was so fast.

Or so ready to slaughter another man.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"I'm leaving." Sasuke's words had hit her hard. Leaving! "Why? Where?" "ANBU. I don't know. Since I don't know how long I'll be gone, or when I'm coming back, I want you to keep something safe for me." "What's that?" Sasuke handed her a worn, flat old rose, without a stem. "…Sasuke, why do you want me to keep this?" "My mom used to keep roses in a vase at home. Fresh ones, right from Yamanako's flower shop. When I came home, and they were dead, this was the only living, beautiful thing in the room."

"I'm so sorry Sasuke." "Don't be. Just keep my rose safe."

_She still had his rose, and he had never asked for it back. _


	5. Scar 3: Death and Sand

Hate Me

A Naruto fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Scar 3: Death and Sand

The sun spilled through the thin curtains and onto the wood floors, softly illuminating everything around the window in shadow and dim light. Sakura still slept soundly in her bed. Her head was to the side with her hair curling and laying all around her face, and a pink lock curled on top of her cheek. A small, relaxed fist was just above the covers next to her face, and the layer covers were pulled up to her wrist and jawbone. She looked so peaceful, and her breathing was even and slow. You would have never known that her own houseguest had threatened her and smacked her.

Silence still ensued for Gaara; the only thing that had changed was that the sun had risen. After leaving the kitchen, Gaara had laid on his bed, eyes wide in the dark room, and listened as Sakura padded to her room, and shut the door. She didn't bother him, or do anything. From what he heard, all she did was stand there a moment, let out a loud breath, and then walk to her bedroom, flicking off the lights as she went.

It was around seven in the morning, and Gaara had never slept, as usual. He finally got bored of the room again by daybreak, and ventured out. For some reason, he didn't want to go near the kitchen, and he was too bored to care why. He stepped out into the large main room, and looked down the row of doors when another strange feeling crept up on him. Too bored to care why again, he just followed the urge and walked one door over to the one room Gaara had never entered. The door wasn't locked or shut all the way, so he just pushed it gently with his fingers. It wined quietly as he slowly pushed it open, to reveal a sleeping Sakura in her bed, with the covers up to her chin. The room was relatively blank, and the white, thin curtains billowed lightly from wind made by the whirring fan above her. Next to her bed were a chestnut nightstand with a metal light, a novel and a vase with some flowers in it, and above her bed were two pictures in golden frames. One picture was of her and a large group of other ninjas, and the other was a painting of a single pink, purple and yellow orchid.

Gaara's dark eyes looked at the blank white walls, the white comforter and blue sheets that stuck up underneath the comforter and came up around her face. How pure and peaceful it seemed. But when his eyes landed on her sleeping form, he couldn't look away. She laid there, still and sleeping, and his delicate ears could hear her soft and slow breathing. She was like an angel that had fallen from the sky, and he couldn't help but stare. His action from the night before suddenly became stupid, and his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. What the hell was wrong with him? First he hated the kitchen, second he had the impulse to visit her room, third he couldn't stop looking at her, and now, fourth, he suddenly felt horrible and idiotic for just slapping some stupid girl!

Scowling, he ripped his gaze away from her (which took great effort) and walked, out of the room.

This place was making him go insane!

But didn't he already cross that border?

Once you're insane, you can't become more insane, can you?

Is there another level to insanity?

Or could you only go back?

Shaking his head, he walked back into his room, and changed into new clothes.

Then he brushed his teeth, got a drink of water, and left the apartment.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Konoha was already a bustle with morning activity, but it was no comfort to the sand ninja. He just walked silently, his form never standing out too much in the crowd, unless you saw the large gourd he toted around on his back. There was no head protector with the sand village's emblem on it anymore; he had burned it before he left for the land of the sand, and wasn't upset about it either. Why should he be?

Things were getting so complicated, and even more annoying than they usually were. He began to wonder if he should leave this place, and become a missing-nin. Maybe join Akatsuki? He listed off these options frankly, as if they weren't too serious or evil, sort of like deciding which cereal you wanted, lucky charms being the missing-nin or cheerios being Akatsuki. After all, the marshmallows were the joy of no human contact, and, therefore, no complications.

He got out of the moving crowd and leaned against a pole that held up the shaded tent, and rubbed the side of his face. It was so cold! Rubbing his arms, he watched as his breath formed little clouds in the air. He had no warm clothes, and hadn't expected to come to a place this cold!

"Son, your lips are blue. You should go home and put on your coat." The tent owner said, looking at him worriedly. The owner stood behind a table covered in trinkets he was selling.

Gaara just scowled, and replied, "Shut-up and mind your own business." Then he walked away, still shivering and rubbing his arms. He walked on the backside of the tents, away from the large crowd, and continued to feel colder and colder, and even numb. Without really thinking, he just continued to walk through the crowd, who all wore thick jackets, hats and scarves, and began to trod through the open, dead, winter fields. During the spring and summer, these fields were alive with sunflowers or grain. By walking through it now, you wouldn't have known it had ever carried a single living thing.

Biting his lip, he closed his eyes, and kept walking in the never-ending field, his mind sorting through the things he had spent his whole life trying to understand.

"Why am I here?"

His voice echoed softly, and the crunching of his feet stopped. For years, the simplest questions had bothered him, and now, they were even more in his face.

Gaara had been taught from an early age about fate. He was taught that fate couldn't be stopped, that everything happened for a reason. So what was the reason that he was here?

His lips were purple, his skin was paler, and he continued to shiver uncontrollably. A horrible cough echoed in the empty fields, and his eyes grew wide as he realized he didn't know how to get back to the busy streets, much less Sakura's apartment.

"Will I die here?" he wondered aloud. It seemed highly unlikely; after all, he had survived too much to perish now. Without another thought, he turned and began to tread back the way he had came; now unable to feel any of his limbs while his eyelids began to darken from the severe cold. At first, he thought, 'I need to get home.' And this simple sentence in his mind made him halt. Home? What was home? He was a wanderer…a home meant a place you were welcome…and haven…he had no home.

With a slight shake of his chilled body, he then continued to wander through the thick snow.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Gaara?"

She knocked lightly on his door, and then pushed it open with two dainty fingers when there was no response. There was the room, with the bed unmade, and the blanket thrown across the bed without care. A pile of clothes laid beside the bed next to the sack he had used to carry all of his belongings; his gourd was gone.

"Shit."

Sakura slammed the door and then ran over to the coat rack and began to pull on her coat, scarf and then her hat. While getting dressed, she hadn't thought to look for Gaara; he was a big boy, he could take care of himself! But, of course, she didn't remember that being a big boy meant being a big idiot and running off into the cold. Gaara had not a coat or warm clothes, and there fore was probably catching his death of cold out in the snowy morning!

She locked her door behind her, her gloves in her mouth, and then struggled to pull them on while bounding down the stairs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

How long had he walked?

_Why won't you die! _

An hour? Two?

All I wanted…all I wanted… 

A day?

How hard could it be, eh? 

It was so cold.

Does it hurt, you child of death? 

It was so cold.

Does it hurt to experience what you are! 

What is this cold? Where is the sand that poured in dunes forever, or the striking wind that flew the sand into your eyes?

_I wonder who will live in your place. _

What was this white?

_Shut-up. _

It was cold; but he couldn't feel anything anymore.

Shut-up! 

It was so cold.

SHUT-UP! 

And now, it was black.

_How does it feel to die? _

Just like the ceiling.

It feels…beautiful… 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hey guys!

NO! IT'S NOT OVER! SO REVIEW AND KEEP READING!

Thanks for reviewing…and now, you have two more chapters! As you ca probably tell, I'm going to update like this. An interlude and a chapter, every time; with the exception of the epilogue, which you all will die without. HAH! Just kidding! So, have you come up with any theories? Feel free to let me in on them! I'm sure I'll get a good kick out of them….

And I'm guessing that everyone understands the whole 'past present' thing, right? Great!

Thanks to my reviewers!

Queen Cow and Steak (Thanks for the 'GIRL POWER' thing…I got a kick out of that! I'm glad you have such high hopes for everything-and, since you love hamburgers, have you ever been to Red Robin? It's a gourmet hamburger place I LOVE! But hey, I live on the east coast of the US, so they might not have it wherever you are. Let me know any of your other comments, and especially your thoughts on these next two chapters!)

Rowan (Well, if you like cliffhangers…I think I just gave you a good one! As for family…I can often cause weird happenings too! Anyway, just enjoy the weird moments! I kind of think they're special…like funny dumb blonde moments with friends! Let me know what you think of these new chapters!)

Scapegoat (I like your name! I reminds me of something I'm supposed to study in History, though…anyway, glad you like this, Its spring break, but hey, why not think a bit? Its not like we're at school! Thanks for giving this a try despite. Let me know what you think of these new chapters!)

MichSchonken (Thanks for the comment! I hope reading this really is fun! Let me know of your opinions of these two chapters!)

Thanks,

Review,

Love,

_-IHearVoices _


	6. Interlude of the Senses: Piece 3

Hate Me

A Naruto fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Interlude of the Senses: Piece 3 

That day had been warm, and very peaceful. The leaves had blown on the crisp fall day, scattering over the dirt roads. He had stopped the day before for a new jacket for the coming winter, and was trying to head south so he could miss the brunt of it. Winter was never his season, nor his friend. After having a mission in the high north during the peak of winter, he had vowed to never stay in the north for the colder seasons. At his rate, though, he might not even make it to the south before the end of winter. This, of course, bothered him.

_His feet dragged, and his gourd seemed heavier than ever before. Coughs racked his body and echoed in the forest, and stops were more frequent, for he was too weak to walk half a mile without stopping to lean against a tree, or rest against the trunk of a great oak. "So this is how I will live?" he asked himself aloud, only to himself. "Running from place to place, hating everything, slowly dying?" He stared up through the tree's leaves at the blue sky, dusted with white clouds. That's what she would've said. She would've stared at him hard, her eyes darting away from his harder gaze occasionally, fear still a glimmer in those green circles. His sister. _

_With a sigh, he closed his eyes, and tried to think of other things. _

_As along as it wasn't black, everything would be fine. _

_He would still be fine. _

_But was he fine to begin with? _


	7. Scar 4: Black Outs

Hate Me

A Naruto fan-fiction

Scar 4: Black outs

He opened his eyes slowly, the sharp smell of citrus filling his nose. A cough racked his body at the strong smell, and he heard a quick intake of breath, and felt her dainty, smooth hand pull away from his face. The bed creaked a bit as she moved, and he squinted his eyes. Lifting his arms to rub his eyes became a hard task; he felt completely drained, and amazed at how tired he was.

"Gaara?" her sweet, simple voice seemed to echo in the room.

The room?

Where the hell did the snow go?

His eyes flew open, and he tired to sit up, but as soon as he moved, pain shot up his arm, and he gripped it with his hand and sucked in his breath through his teeth. Where the hell did that come from?

"Don't move!"

She leaned over and held his shoulders gently, helping him lay down again. His head hit the pillow lightly, and he couldn't help but sigh and close his eyes a moment.

"Why did you leave like that this morning, in shorts and a light shirt?" she asked.

He heard the dripping of water as she wrung out a rag, and began to dab his forehead with the warm water. Gaara didn't answer; he just cracked his eyes a bit, and watched her. Green eyes partly lidded, and without make up or anything. Her eyes met his a moment, and then she looked away and put the rag back into the bowl of warm water, filled it with water, and wrung it out again.

Gaara coughed. "I needed to get out."

"Why? Am I that offending?" she smiled lightly, and began to dab his forehead again.

"Does collapsing in snow always make someone this weak?"

"Gaara, you not only have pneumonia, but you have an infection in an open cut up in the left shoulder. You must've been out there in the cold for hours."

"…Then why are you doing this?"

Sakura stopped suddenly, her hand just above his forehead. Then she drew her hand back, and sighed, scratching her head. "I guess, you remind me of Sasuke and Neji. You know, Sasuke grew up with no family or clan, and Neji in an oppressive clan, and no father. You all have dark pasts, power hungry attitudes, and act as if you could kill any man."

She went back to lightly dabbing his forehead.

"Those boys never threatened your life."

Sakura scoffed. "That's probably the only line they've never crossed, that's for sure."

"…Aren't you supposed to be with Uchiha?"

"What, you thought I'd be married off by now? I'm only sixteen."

"You're living alone."

"I have no choice. My mother booted me out once I got my chunin title."

"So what happened to Uchiha?"

Sakura stopped cold again, and dropped the washcloth into the bowl on the floor with the small splash. "_Uchiha_ doesn't love me, Gaara; and besides, that's none of your business."

She grabbed the bowl with both hands and began to exit; but she made a sudden stop when she heard Gaara's next question.

"Love you? Isn't it enough that he fights for you?"

She sighed. "Gaara, I have people who will fight for me; I want someone who loves me, who wants to be with me. Not something forced."

Then she walked out of the room.

Gaara stared out after her, his face emotionless. She had so much more than he, and she was so different. At first, she seemed untouched, but now, after long hours of thinking, after seeing her in different situations, he could see the dirt on her. She wasn't as dirty as he was, but just knowing that she wasn't that innocent, perfect child from before gave him a dark sense of satisfaction. Her purity wasn't forever either.

He wanted to sit up and pull his knees to his chin and hide his face behind his knees, but the pain in his shoulder and his exhaustion kept him from moving. He just lay there, staring out the door, until she walked back in.

She stood there, holding a tray with a steaming bowl of soup and a cup of milk.

Her feet padded softly as she entered the room, and set the tray on his legs.

Wincing, Gaara sat up, and looked at her.

"Eat; you'll need your strength, and you need to stay warm." She instructed, and then sat down on the stool by his bed.

He coughed and glared up at her. "Strength for what?"

She just shrugged, and said, "Knowing you, you'll probably be sick of this room soon, and want to get out and train. I can't have you running around still sick and injured."

Gaara was silent again, and he looked away from the beautiful girl. She seemed to know him so well, but she had only known him a day. Was it because she knew other ninja boys? Were he and the other boys that alike? And why didn't he know her as well? She always had something surprising up her sleeve; one moment, she was quiet and shocked, and the next determined and strong, and the next…kind.

"You have such deep thoughts, Gaara." She said softly, looking at his face.

His eyes cut at her, and he replied sharply, "How do you know? How do you know anything?"

She shrugged, and watched the steam float up from the warm soup. "Everyone has defining features, and yours just seems to be your thoughts. Many boys don't think below the surface unless they have to; even Sasuke spends most of his time just thinking about battle strategies. You just seem to have more on your mind that being a ninja."

"So how do you know what I will do?"

"Simple; you're male, you're a warrior. None of you boys can sit still. Now eat."

Gaara stared at the strange girl a moment, and then lifted the spoon with the hand from his uninjured arm, and began to eat. He was hungry, and although he was angry that she had commanded him, he would get back at the foolish girl later.

Sakura ran her fingers through her hair, and she said, "Look, I've got some calls to make. I'll check up on you later. Call me if you need anything." Then she stood and left, closing a door until it was only opened a crack.

He watched her leave like always, and then went back to his soup.

Was he really all that deep? How did she know what the Uchiha thought about? Why does the Uchiha not love her? Who was she going to call? Why did she need to call them? Did she have to report his insubordinance to her Hokage? Was his act _of _insubordinance?

"Master?" her voice rang out, and he listened intently. "Yes. I know. He's injured now, so I won't be starting anything for at least two days. Yes, I know. Can you send someone else? Because I can't! Master, I have previous duties, and I'm sure if you told Lord Hokage, she would side with me. Yes, I know this mission is important. Sir, I can't take him! He's not been even slightly assimilated! He's still a sand ninja, through and through! Sir, I can't control him. He's already run off once. I can't be held responsible for him in such a situation in the state he's in! Yes, I know sir. I'm sorry sir, but you'll have to find someone else. I-"

"No you don't."

While she spoke, Gaara had gotten up out of bed, and he now stood outside of his room, leaning on the top of the television. He seemed a bit out of breath, but his eyes spoke of only strength, determination and the normal insanity.

"I want to go on one of your missions. Tell him you will go, and I will accompany you as an assistance and body guard."

"I don't need a body guard!" she hissed, her palm on the phone. "And besides, you need your rest!"

Gaara was enraged by her comment, and he glared and snarled at her, "If you don't go and let me go with you, I'll run away again and burn your stupid village to bits, got it?"

Sakura bit her lip, disgust filling her face. "I'll kill you first."

"Hah! Like you could." He replied, "No matter how weak I am, my sand is always there." Suddenly, his sand crept out of his room and began to surround him, whirling around him in thick wisps.

The jounin leaf ninja glared at him, and pulled her hand away from the phone.

"Sir, I'll go, with the sand-nin. I want you to equip me with an instant transmission radio, so if he acts up, you can send in more ANBU to capture and destroy him."

Then she hung up the phone with the press of a button. Gaara's lip curled in disgust.

"Do you really think those clowns can beat me?" he hissed.

"Yes." She snapped, "Because Sasuke and Naruto are in ANBU, and kyuubi could kill you any day." She turned away from Gaara and began to walk into the kitchen.

Suddenly, he appeared next to her, holding on to her wrist tightly. "How dare you defy me!"

"What?" she asked, "Did you expect me to just let you have your way, to get me alone, to up my chances of dying by your hand? I'm not stupid, Gaara, and that's what's made me a jounin. Remember that."

The stood in silence a moment until Gaara let her wrist go. Sakura held her wrist gingerly, checking for bruises. Then she looked back up at him, glaring daggers.

"We leave tomorrow morning at eight. Be ready to go, and dress lightly. We'll be going into a warmer climate down south."

Without a sound, she then walked off into her room, slamming the door behind her, leaving the still weak sand ninja standing in the living room.

He squeezed his eyes shut, leaning on the television again as he felt the now familiar evil feeling fill the pit of his stomach and his chest.

Guilt.

It wouldn't leave him anymore. It was always there, gathering in his chest like a storm; a raging, thick storm that poured through him like quick disease, shutting out anything that seemed to matter to him before. He had only felt that way but a few times before, and each time he felt over whelmed and sick. Things were the way they were and he had done the things he had done; he couldn't take it back, yet the guilt welled up in him like a flood.

He leaned his forehead against the wall and held his damaged shoulder with the other hand, grimaced and let out a sharp cry.

Guilt.

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He gripped his shoulders as the morning chill swept over him, and stared out at the wall across from him. On a chair she had draped a coat with a hood, gloves, and a hat. Snow boots sat next to the chair, and he just looked at them, wondering what the day would bring him. Sighing, he held up one arm to shield his eyes from the light that was starting to pour into the room from the windows. Would he fight the worst criminals, interrogate and terrorize for information vital for his new home, or simply sit back and watch Sakura and the others tend to matters with a steady gaze? Would he be able to kill someone, and truly show all of those stupid Konoha ninjas his strength?

Suddenly, Sakura opened the door carrying a bowl of warm water, a rag, a roll of bandages and a few clips to hold the bandages in place. She knelt by his bed and set the things by it, while he looked at her as always, taking her in drop by drop.

"Your wound needs to be cleaned before we leave." She explained quickly. Avoiding his eyes, she pulled up a chair by his bed and then began to unwrap his bandages. He looked from her careful hands toward her face and back again, his face emotionless and his eyes accusing and hard as always. As soon as the dirty bandages were off, she dipped the rag into the basin filled with warm water, rung it out, and began to clean off his shoulder. She dabbed it lightly and with precision, and he only winced once. Soon, she dried it off with another rag, and applied a lotion.

"You are angry."

She met his eyes once, and then grabbed the roll of bandages. Without a word, she began to wrap his wound.

"If you are angry, why do you take care of me? You know I can do it myself."

She stopped and glared at him. "Why don't you just enjoy the luxury of having someone do it for you?"

"Because you're making the atmosphere very uncomfortable."

"And why do you think that is?" she began to wrap his wound again, stopping once and a while to put in a clip.

"Because I put you in your place, as any other stronger man would."

At this, she pulled his bandages extra tight and he winced.

"For you information, Gaara of the sand, both Sasuke and Naruto are stronger than me, but they treat me with respect and as an equal. As my guest, you should do the same plus some." Her voice was tight and obviously angry.

Gaara looked down at his lap, at his rough hands lying limp on top of the blankets. Guilt filled him again, and his face burned.

"Then how should I act?"

His question rang out in the room heavy with Sakura's anger, and she paused out of surprise. She placed the final clip into the wrap, ripped the bandage and tucked the end into the other over-lapping bandages.

"Don't threaten me. Don't treat me as if I'm not good enough for you; treat me like you would treat yourself."

He paused, and then replied, "I will not treat you as I do myself. I would throw myself away if the opportunity was there."

Then he stood and walked over to his bag. He wore only his pants, and Sakura watched as he pulled on his shirt, and then put on the boots. She stood and walked over to him.

"Why throw yourself away? You have such strength, potential."

He turned to look at her, and his eyes bore into hers. "Strength is nothing when you have it, and potential is nothing when it is all you are alive for."

Sakura paused next to him, taking in his quote.

Shaking her head, she then went and put the chair back, and then picked up everything she had brought in. Just before exiting, she stopped next to him, and said quietly, "I think that's sad." Then, with a heavy heart and down cast eyes, she left the room and padded into the kitchen.

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They were by the gates at eight sharp, and Gaara leaned against the icy gates casually. Sakura stood next to him, her face covered in her black-ops mask, her headband gleaming proudly against the black uniform. Gaara still held his in his hands, since he hated it.

Soon, two others, both in full black ops uniform, met them.

"Gaara, this is Keiko and Jin." Sakura explained. The two nodded at Gaara, and then turned toward Sakura.

"Ready to go?"

"Yea."

The four deployed as a team-Sakura walked with Gaara, Jin next to Sakura, and Keiko slightly ahead, reading over a scroll. They walked five miles, and only Sakura and Jin spoke.

"I thought you said we were going some place warm?" Gaara asked. It was the only thing he had said.

"We are." Jin replied, "We've got about two more miles, and we'll be in sand country."

Gaara looked at Sakura, but Sakura just looked back. The only portion of her exposed was her eyes and the area around them, but they told no secrets or spoke of any answers.

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Eventually, they entered the desert that surrounded the Sand Country. The team stripped off their gear and wore lighter clothing. Gaara just wore black pants, a black vest filled with weapons and sandals. With no shirt under the vest, you could see the bandaged and wounded shoulder, his shoulder blades and his well-worked chest. Keiko blushed under her mask and looked at Jin, who like Sakura and herself, kept the same basic uniform. Black pants, black long-sleeve shirt, sandals, fingerless gloves, mask.

They trudged through the sand for a mile, and then entered the Sand Country. Hidden in the shadows and Gaara hidden in the sand as he was trained, the four made their way through the homes and villages until they came to the heart of the country where the Kazekage resided.

Then they took down some guards quietly, and entered the building where the Kazekage was having a privet meeting. Sakura planted some bugs along the way, and the four finally entered the Kazekage's main office. By now, Gaara had figured that this was a mission to obtain information, so he just went along with everything.

All four hid in the Kazekage's office in different areas, and listened intently. Kazekage was in a meeting with the Hokages from sound and cloud.

"What of your young hellion, Kazekage?" the leader of sound asked, his head cocked to the side.

"Traded him to Konoha for a high price. Peace for some years, restricted foreign relations."

"Shame. I would've taken him for free. He would've made a fine puppet."

Gaara clenched his teeth.

"Yes, yes. But we all know Shukaku wouldn't have anything of your curse."

The sound leader laughed lightly, and took a sip of his tea.

All ninjas listened to their conversation, and with every word, Sakura was appalled.

"All that boy's good for is his strength, yet you handed him over."

"Yes, you may have just added an asset to Konoha. Stupid."

"Extremely. He would've done more good under a seal, using his blood lust as a guide and his power as a path."

"Hah!"

Everything they said of Gaara was about how useless he was, how evil, how insane. Every word was filled with hate, and she could only imagine how Gaara took it as he hid under the sand that covered the floor of the open room.

The conversation continued, and eventually, the men left, and the team took off toward Konoha. The mission wasn't fruitless; the idea was to figure out what was going on in the minds of the leaders of what might be or were opposing nations, and that was what they had accomplished. Keiko had recorded the entire thing, and she dropped it off at the Hokage's office on the way home.

As for Gaara and Sakura, they walked in silence, Sakura upset, Gaara unfazed and just thinking of the warm bed and room where he could rest and stare at the black hole.

Sakura walked inside the apartment and slipped off her boots and dropped them on the mat. Snow melted and lay around them, and Gaara's snow-covered boots soon joined them. He waited for his turn at the coat rack, watching as Sakura slipped off her jacket, vest and mask. The jacket was placed on the coat rack, while the rest lay over her arm. He watched her movements, how every step wasn't calculated, but very casual and absent minded. There was nothing tactful about how she moved or walked, or how she brushed her hair behind her ear.

He slipped off his coat and hat and placed them on the coat rack next to hers, while she padded into her room and put her vest, gloves and mask away.

Then he stepped back away from the coat rack, and looked at it. It had more than just his things, but Sakura's as well. The last time that had occurred was when he lived with his uncle, or when his siblings visited. It was like a symbol that he wasn't alone, that he lived with another who does so much for him. She treated his wounds, helped him rise from his sickness, housed him, and made sure he was fed, looked out for him. What had he done? Ran away, threatened her.

The disease spread again, and he looked at the rack with a pained expression.

Sakura came out of her bedroom, this time in jeans a baggy shirt, and saw Gaara's face. Her own face fell, and she walked over to him.

"Gaara, I'm sorry."

He turned to her, his once pained expression now only hinted in his eyes. "Keep your pity."

"No. You deserve it. Unlike Naruto, and even Sasuke, you never got what you always deserved. I'm sorry."

"And what do I deserve?" he asked dangerously, now staring at her like prey. "I have almost murdered your friends and you, destroyed your friend's dream, and threatened you." He clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "What the hell do I deserve?" he yelled. She had made him angry, because if there was one thing he hated, it was pity. She could keep it, and choke on it!

Sakura stepped back a bit in shock, and then regained her composure. Her eyes narrowed.

"You deserve…companionship. A friend." She explained, "You deserve what we all take for granted. No matter how many people you've killed, no matter what things you've done, you will always deserve the loyalty and love of someone else."

She strode forward, and put her hand on the tense, taller boy's shoulder. "Even a murderer has friends."

Her voice seemed to whisper like a sweet, soft kiss. He looked down, and then girt his teeth at her, glaring hard enough to burn a hole. When he spoke, it was like a horse, forced whisper. "I am worse than any murderer you have ever encountered, and even more insane and hopeless than any serial killer."

Then he pushed past her, throwing her hand away, and walked off toward his room, silent as a draft.

Sakura's eyes narrowed. What did he expect from her? He was hurt, and he needed someone. She was trying to be that someone! 'Maybe you should put it in plainer words.' Her inner voice mocked, and she just growled, and took the idea, but twisted it her own way.

She walked over to his room and threw the door open. He looked up; surprise already vanished from his face, and glared at her. In an attempt to make her fear him, he stood, tall and proud.

"What the hell do you-"

"You listen here!" she exclaimed, "As much as you hate yourself, you are an important, good person, and I know that because of what you have done. You're scarred and hurt, I know that, but you can't run away from every opportunity to be what you refused to kill, to have what you couldn't destroy." She walked up closer to him, and said in a softer tone, "You spared me that day during the exam because you saw how I cared for Naruto and Sasuke. So why don't you want that yourself?"

He paused, and then said, "Because I can't have it."

"Then try anyway. Let me try-" she paused, and then continued-"to be your friend."

Gaara stared at her, this pink-haired girl with innocent mind, hopeful eyes and a defiance and determination that separated her form everyone else. How could she ask him such a question, and then expect him to just say something, just defy everything he had believed? Sins pushed away people, not attracted them!

But it was as if she was attracted to him, and that even made him scared.

What did she think he was?

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Hey guys!

So, there you have it…and, the scar, by the way, is my biggest shocker! Before reading the scar, I do need you to think. I want you to get into the frame of mind that Gaara is not only alone, believes he is not worth anything, but also has journeyed for two years, the year before Temari approached him, for something that he still doesn't fully understand. All of the interludes with him are flashbacks to this journey, and if you read carefully, you can detect the next event that will be revealed later on. Most importantly: When people are desolate and dark like Gaara is, the simplest things change them dramatically. Try and find out what those simple things are, and you will understand the drama of the next chapter!

I told you that you have to think!

Thanks to my reviewers!

Hao'sAnjul (I like your screen name! It's almost as if it has a hidden meaning! Glad you liked this so far, let me know what you think of this chapter!)

Rowan (Thank you! You're so sweet…but honestly, I'm a bit obsessive. I think over things a million times before I even write it, and then add and correct and change it until I'm happy…it's a long process! And I'm very happy with my fan base! Ya'll are the greatest! Let me know what you think of this chapter!)

Scorpion5 (Sadly, I did not include other's reactions…mostly because I didn't really care. I thought it would be boring to write, and I know that Sakura and Gaara could probably care less… but thank you for guessing! Keep guessing! It makes it more fun to reply you guys, and continue to update!)

Queen Cow and Steak (Hey! Yea, you late reviewer! God! You always review late! Lol…just kidding! Anyway, glad you enjoyed the last two chapters. I guess Sasuke was a bit scary, but hey, what can you do? Okay, so maybe I wrote it…but whatever! Actually, Gaara's not really sick, and I think he healed pretty fast…I didn't really mention it after that segment. Anyway, thanks for reviewing, and make sure to let me know what you think of these next two chapters!)

Danny (Oh, Danny-Danny-Danny! You are so off track! Reread the summary on the main page where all of the stories are listed, and then rethink it! Everything in these counts, all of it means something! Based on everything that is posted at this moment, you could probably make an exact prediction! Don't think of this as exactly like the manga, a romance, or like most fan fiction, because its not. It's more realistic, emotionally, than almost anything else I've ever read in fan fiction. Don't think of just the big things, but the small things that Gaara never received as well. Either way, thank you for guessing! It means a lot. I really like to hear people's ideas! So keep them coming! Thanks!)

Broken Angel, Forgiven Devil (You sound, well, skeptical. But thanks for the 'interesting' part, that was great! Let me know your thoughts on these recent updates!)

Scapegoat (Thank you! You're so nice! And, you know, the screen name's got to kick boo-tay.)

Valindon Warrior (Thank you so more for your compliments! I really do try to describe everything and make this the best it can be, like a book you picked up off of the shelf, and it really means a lot to me when people notice that! Thank you!)

Thanks,

Review,

Love,

_-IHearVoices _


	8. Interlude of the Senses: Piece 4

Interlude of the Senses: Piece 4 

Nightmares racked his body-but he did not sleep. Shukaku cackled, amused by his host's unhappiness. He did not sleep, but nightmares plagued him like bits of growing cancer. His eyes were wide in fear, bugged even, but unfocused. He gripped his chest in a mental pain, and gagged on air. The ninja in the bushes watched, his eyes narrowing, a devious smirk crossing his face. His imagination was a beautiful, sadistic thing-even sadistic enough to beat out the great Shukaku no Gaara, demon-murderer extraordinaire.

_The ninja licked his lips, stifling a laugh, as not to wake the murderer from his living dream-one he thought was real, and the kind of dream one could only have awake. _

_A dream by a sharingan. _

_Even being powerful, Gaara was nowhere near mentally stable. There fore, even the idea of him breaking free of such an elaborate dream was not only unspeakable, but also stupid. After all his traumas, there was no way he could even remotely realize that the dreams were untrue. They were fiction, a sadistic story planted in his head according to his own life and curse. He would never truly escape, unless he killed him, the ninja in the bushes. The vengeful stalker, the one full of hatred so thick that he shocked himself some times. _

_As for his wounds…he didn't really know they were there. _

_No-he would never realize it. _


	9. Scar 5: Seven Deaths

Hate Me

A Naruto fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Scar 5: Seven Deaths

Gaara stood still, staring at this unusual girl. He had done everything to her; maimed her friend, almost killed her and all she loved, and threatened her repeatedly. Yet this girl was offering a friendship, herself as a companion.

An image flashed and a scream echoed in his mind, and he shook his head. She couldn't know-he couldn't taint her!

"No."

He stood, and walked over to his bed. Sitting down on it, he gripped the edges of the mattress and stared at the floor. He listened as she sighed a bit, and then padded out of the room. For so much determination, she silently gave up when she felt it was time to retreat.

She slid the door closed behind her, and the leaned on it with a sigh.

"Maybe I was wrong to begin with." She murmured, "Maybe you just don't have a heart."

With a weary sigh, she walked off toward her bedroom, and shut the door silently. For a moment, she paused, and wondered if things would change, but knew that they wouldn't. He was insane, right? Maybe he's paranoid sketsofrenic? Why would this change anything then?

She walked off and shut the door to her bedroom.

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He lay back on his bed, staring up at the ceiling. Soon, it would become the black hole again, and suck him up. He looked to the side, and then sat up. The sheets crumpled in his fists, and his jaw was clenched as the realization, coated to the normal human in thick madness, came to his mind.

It was the only thing that made sense.

This wouldn't go away.

It would never go away.

He had to show her, make her see.

Suddenly, he stood and walked off. His footsteps weren't heard, but he more came through like a gust of silent wind. Gaara threw open Sakura's door, and walked over toward her. She was sitting on her bed with a book, and once he walked in she stood, still holding the book with one hand. Her eyes were wide and shock spread across her face when she saw him. His eyes were wide not in shock, but in light of the crazed battle that had begun to rage in him; his hands clenched. With the madness of the murderer he was, he grabbed her shoulders, shoving his face up close to hers.

She gasped and yelped, dropping the book to the floor. He gripped her arms tightly, his breathing hard and fast.

She screamed.

"Let me go!"

He didn't seem to notice, but he did see the fear in her eyes, and how it flickered like light in her green orbs. Now, now she would understand.

"You want to see why I don't deserve it? Do you?" he snarled.

She stopped and stared at him. Fear still lingered in her eyes, but not as much.

Her lip quivered. "Gaara, I…I"

"You what? You want to see?" he shouted, "Let me tell you something! People die when I show them! They DIE!"

She screamed when he gripped her arms harder, and he continued to ignore her yelps. Fear over took her again, and she moved her head away, clenching her eyes. Her hands made fists. She shivered.

Gaara's eyes suddenly closed, his breathing became silent. His grip wasn't as tight, but in a dark fascination, Sakura didn't try and get away, but waited those split seconds. When he opened his eyes again, they were staring at her as if through her skin and bones. She screamed, seeing herself in those eyes, which used to be green like hers, but were now a darker, deeper shade.

They were black.

The pupil was gone, and the shock of the sudden, violent, horrific change made her scream again. Then it enveloped her.

Sakura's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she fell to the ground with a thud. Gaara's grip had loosened when he had closed his eyes, and he now looked down on her, her face still distressed, but her eyes closed peacefully. Pink hair in curling waves lay around her head like a halo, and every part of her reeked of the innocence he had always seen in her. She would never be that innocent again.

The vile feeling in his chest rose, and he looked away from the girl on the floor, his eyes still blacker than a midnight sky, without a single glint in them.

'_Have you killed her now, idiot?' _

Gaara went rigid, hearing the all-to familiar voice. It was cold, and had a sort of suspicious sharpness to it, like a fresh, hidden blade. He had been gone for so long…why had he returned now? In the back of his mind, he had always lingered…but he hadn't spoke for so long….

"What do you mean?" Gaara said aloud. Unbeknownst to him, his face became even more insanely contorted as the feared voice spoke.

'_The girl. After all she had done, you show her. Even I have not seen many memories worse than yours, yet you still give it to that mentally innocent girl. Stupid.' _

Gaara looked down at the girl, and grimaced. The feeling began to take him over like a disease, and he felt his fingers dig into his skin.

The voice's evil cackle wracked his mind, and he screamed and held his head, pushing his fingers against his temples.

"ARGH! SHUT-UP!"

'Why? Does it pain you, to hear me laugh at your pain? Check her pulse, idiot! She's probably dead!'

"No! No!" he screamed. His knees hit the floor next to way she laid. "She's not dead! I'll prove it to you!"

His eyes wild and his teeth grit, and snatched Sakura's limp body up off of the floor and held her close to him. His breathing was erratic and his mind swirling.

Shaking, he put his hand in front of her mouth, and felt no breath.

He leaned his head against her chest, and felt no beat.

The voice cackled.

Gaara paused, shocked. It had killed her!

Then he lifted his head, his eyes wide and still horrifically black, lifeless and lightless.

"No. No. No, it didn't. I didn't kill her." He murmured. He stopped, and looked up at the ceiling.

'Yes. Yes! You killed her! You killed her!'

The words echoed in his mind, as he stared at the ceiling, and paused, his face turning to that of horror.

Gaara shuddered, and let out a wail at the ceiling. A single black tear fell down his cheek, and he felt another sob rack his body. His fingers clenched, his back arched. He wailed again like a beaten animal. Everything she had done, and he just went and took her life away. Right after she had asked him, he killed her.

Why?

Hope seemed to spill from his body, and just before the last drop left him, his eyes widened with realization.

Just as he had learned to share his memories, he had learned to share himself.

Never had he tried the technique.

There would be repercussions…but she would be alive…she would be untouched….

With his face black tear-stained, and another one sliding down his flawless cheek, he looked down at Sakura. His grip on her tightened, and he lifted her up closer to him. The black eyes stared at her with kind of insane sadness.

He stared at her a moment, at her own innocent perfection that he could never have. She would have her innocence, some how.

His tears became blood.

At first, the words wouldn't leave Gaara's lips. Then, they took on a whisper.

"Have it. Have it all."

The voice was silent, but Gaara hardly noticed its volume. He didn't even notice when a drop of the blood that poured from his eyes hit her unmarred cheek, while the rest streaked his own face and splotched his shirt.

"Seven deaths. Seven deaths. Give it back. Have it all." Each word had its importance, and he breathed each one like it should be treated: with care, and silently. No one could hear him but himself, and the girl in his arms.

Suddenly, Gaara closed his black eyes, and his own body went limp.

One, last, deep red tear cascaded down his face, and fell on to the side of her eye, and fell across her face, as if she too, cried her own blood.

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Hey ya'll!

I'm so sorry!

I was replying reviews and prepping this to be put up on the site when I realized I had a paper due, and then things started happening and…yea. I'd already put up Interlude, and I was finishing up the last reply when it happened!

I'm really, really sorry!

I feel awful!

Anyway, hate to tell you, but if you didn't understand why any of that happened…you weren't thinking, at all.

I told you it would be shocking!

Anyway, against the fact that I REALLY wanted predictions before I broke the big scar to you, I posted it, in light that I hadn't updated in a while, and this is my most dark chapter…no humor, but a lot of darkness. This was a very raw chapter for me, since I usually like to mix elements, but this event had to take place! It was my climax, after all…and it came quiet quickly!

I'm a little nervous about comments on this chapter, but don't think its over! There are four more interludes, two more scars, and an epilogue, so all of your questions shall be answered!

My next two updates will be interludes instead of a interlude and a scar, so I'll answer reviews there!

CHALLENGE FOR MY READERS: can you explain why the curse said "seven deaths"? I dropped no hints for this, so just be creative and guess!

Thanks to my Reviewers (You guys rock!):

Fay of Sand (Thanks for the comment on it being "well written". I sure hope it stays that way! Also, I'm not so sure Gaara will become much nicer…maybe if I do a sequel! Let me know what you think of these two updates!)

Queen Cow and Steak (Actually, I don't remember how I got my pen name…probably because I'm always thinking about something, my best friend has voices in her head (for real, I'm not joking!), I create characters in my head…and because its just a funky name! Its so awesome than you were so glued to the screen at their fight…I hope you didn't scrape your eyeballs this time, because I thought that last scar had some, well, low points. That's just me though, ever the perfectionist! I like the word 'fantastical' too! Thanks, and let me know your opinions on these chapters!)

Hao's Anjul (You are right about the fact that Gaara should accept Sakura's invitation…however, he is a crazed mass murderer, which is why he went berserk on us. In any case, I'm glad you found it interesting! I bet you um, were a bit shocked or something this time, right? Well, thank you! And I still like your pen name!)

Rowan (You know what? Drastic people are fun. I think my problem is my weakness if action scenes; other wise, I might have some of those! I should do some in another story, or if I do one in the sequel (if I have one) or whatever…I don't think this chapter was very long, but then again, I said all I needed to say! Let me know your comments on this chapter!)

Weeble (Thanks for setting me straight on the whole "fire country, wind country, village" thing…I swear, I do tons of studying on Naruto's concepts and look up tons of information, and I still don't get it all! But thank you. Be sure to let me know what you think of this chapter in your review!)

Shukaka-chan (Hey! I guess, since the last scar made you cry, you were really boo-hooing this time…or was it more of a "Ah! How dare that author write something so…horrible!" But thank you for the compliment-and please tell me your thoughts on these chapters!)

Danny (Did you know that you're also one of my favorite reviewers for my other current project, Day to Day? I love it when people tell me what they think and respond to my requests! It's so nice! So thank you! Anyway, thanks for giving a prediction! I think you're the only one who did…and you did so much better! I do know how you feel, with late class and then hitting the gym…I don't take late classes, but studying, homework, reports, and those little extras take up that time at night. Okay! Back on track: your analysis was very good, but it wasn't what I was looking for…I wanted someone to predict this chapter, which was why I didn't update so soon! Either way, congrats! I know its kind of weird to have to put your mind on that different track, but the simple fact that you did is awesome!

In correlation with your first prediction, Sasuke does play a part in this, but mostly with Sakura. I didn't go too much into her, which I regret. Gaara, in this story, is kind of like a half-filled cup. As I'll explain in the epilogue (you're special; I'll deluge some things for you because you took the effort to give me your own ideas on the story), Naruto gave Gaara a shove, and although one moment can change our lives, Gaara seemed too seeped in it to suddenly switch to me. When I read the spoilers on the internet, I just couldn't go along with the idea that he suddenly becomes all good! So, I created this. Although Sakura helps to fill that cup some more, he still isn't completely okay, which will be explained later… So, you never know, you might just see an epilogue! Anyway, I'll have to disagree with you on the coffee not helping…I've only been so upset that a caffeine shot couldn't cure it but a few times…I hope everything is all right! Thank you, and let me know more of your thoughts!)

Valindon Warrior (Thanks! Maybe you could give Gaara cyber hug? Lol, just kidding! Anyway, thanks for your compliments…they mean a lot to me!)


	10. Interlude of the Senses: Piece 5

Hate Me

A Naruto fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_Interlude of the Senses: Piece 5 _

Suddenly, a bright light filled her eyes! 

_The light hurt her eyes, and she closed them, and then cracked them open again, seeing one lazy eye looking down on her. _

_That was her first memory of waking up after the fight in the exam-Kakashi leaning over her, carefully inspecting a new bandage under that great florescent light. _

_After that, she passed out again. _

_Two days later, she was asked the question that she has carried with her ever since. _

_She was sitting up in bed, and next to her, lying down, was Sasuke. He kept waking up, and then falling back into a deep sleep again, back and forth. He never spoke when he woke, but he did this time. This time, he looked straight at her, with her leaning against her bedpost, covers pulled up, and a large bandage across her forehead. _

_He looked at her with a sleepy seriousness, his eyes glazed but his brows furrowed. _

"_Sakura…Sakura-chan…tell me, can you forgive him? Sakura, tell me how you forgive him, because I know you. He took away so much…tell me how to forgive him, Sakura." _

_Then, Sasuke closed his eyes, and that deep sleep, induced by drugs and exhaustion, once again claimed him. _

_It was then that Sakura had begun to relive the previous happenings, with Gaara. _

_He had destroyed Lee's dream, revealed Naruto, almost killed Naruto and Sasuke, and herself…he had threatened, and almost had, taken away everything…. _

_Could she ever forgive him? _

She carried this question in her heart for days, weeks-maybe a month. When she began to dig deeper was when she realized that Gaara had only done what he had known to do. Only, what he had really known to do was kill…yet he had spared her. Why? Because of her connection with her teammates, because she defended Sasuke's injured body, scream for Naruto, and they had done that and some. Gaara had cracked!

_Maybe, she then thought, Naruto's speech had truly changed him…he had become a totally different person, pondered the words. Maybe their meeting was so he could turn his life around, make it even better. _

_She later found, in the present, when she was reunited with Gaara, that he had hardly _

_changed. It was during those days that she realized that his pain was deeper than his skin, but also his mind, his soul…if he had one. She made it her mission to save him, give him an opening to live and think normally. But it was in her final moments that she realized that he was not only insane, but had a kind of pain, a kind of indescribable hate, suicidal disgust, and such a blackened heart and mind, that, if the idea that if you go so far you can only go back was true, he could only become normal. All he needed was something to get him moving…but the things that flashed in her mind told her other wise. _

_They told her he was what he said he was…. _

"_I am worse than any murderer you have ever encountered, and even more insane and hopeless than any serial killer."_


	11. Interlude of the Senses: Piece 6

Hate Me

A Naruto fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

**_Interlude of the Senses: Piece 6_ **

_He walked, his feet almost dragging. His eyes were glazed, and his senses blunted. Every ounce of luck he had was being used as he walked, for it was taking many miracles that he was not being found in this state. There were so many that wanted him in a grave, dead and gone forever. Revenge was a daily battle for countless beings against him, and he was always able to beat them back._

_Not today, or two days before that. _

_The nightmares had been coming for two weeks now, plaguing him like cancer, infesting his mind, infecting his body. Despite the fact that they were nightmares, when he awoke from them, he bore wounds…all of them coming from that dream. He got burns and wide cuts; one got infected and was now purple. Only in his nightmares was he struck. Only in his nightmares were his enemies the ones he had hoped for, ones that could kill him; but he killed them instead. Nothing they did could change his path or mind! A scream, cries, pleads and the airs of despair were nothing but something to feed off of…an adrenaline push. _

_Sometimes, he didn't even need to command his body. It just did it…even if he didn't want to. Even if the children before him were already suffering enough, he would kill them without remorse. Was this his journey, to kill in search of this thing he wanted? _

_Wasn't this the opposite of what he wanted to dearly? Yes…it was. But he couldn't stop…he couldn't stop it…and when he awoke, the blood coated his hands and tainted his shirt and dotted his gourd. Every time…but he didn't know it was waking…he thought he was awake all the time…not dreaming as he walked. He thought it was real. _

_The dreams were more than tearing his mind apart, but his body also suffered. _

_Because what only the ninja in the bushes knew, was that Gaara was covered in his own blood… _

_Not the blood of his dreamed victims, but his own. The wounds he bore he gave himself…because the hidden ninja's technique was one that would make him suffer. _

_His goal was the death of the sand ninja, by the utmost painful way of all. _

_Suicide. _


	12. Scar 6: I Promise

Hate Me

A Naruto fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Scar 6: I Promise

Tsunade was a prominent woman, always on top of things and full of wisdom that she presented in her own way. This morning, all of her talents came in handy.

"Tell me how you found her." Tsunade asked, looking at the founder of the girl with narrowed eyes.

Uzumaki Naruto's eyes were wide, and his voice full of shock and vigor. "I walked in, and there was Sakura. She was in bed with the covers all pulled up to her shoulders, and looked like she was asleep. I usually wake her up on missions, and since it was late in the afternoon, I figured it was okay to wake her up. But nothing happened, so I took her here!"

"Right." Tsunade said, "So, was there any marks of disturbance, anything, on the floors?"

"Nope. Nothing."

"So where is Gaara?"

"What do you care? We should take care of Sakura, and then kill him! I'll find him and kick his ass myself!"

"So you don't know?"

"If I did, he'd be dead!"

"Thanks Naruto. Now get out."

Uzumaki scowled and then left. He wanted to be by Sakura's bedside at all times anyway. This was just an unnecessary detour, and one that had annoyed him. Tsunade, that old hag, fit the title bitch to a tee; or, at least, she did to Uzumaki Naruto.

As soon as Naruto was gone, Tsunade relaxed in her chair and sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Perhaps," she said aloud to herself, "having Shukaku no Gaara here was the worst idea yet."

"I don't think so."

Tsunade whipped around in her chair, and found herself face to face with the very boy she spoke of. He dressed now in winter clothes, with his gourd around his back as always.

"Speak of the devil!" she exclaimed, "You know, there's a warrant for you. So why don't you just spill your guts right here, eh?"

Gaara's expression never changed. "A mark on her lower abdomen will explain everything."

Then he proceeded forward, and produced an envelope from his jacket. His green eyes stared at Tsunade and never looked away. A fiery strength and cunning seemed to emit from them, but this was not there when she first met him.

A bit puzzled, Tsunade took the letter, peering at the boy suspiciously.

"Don't try to open it yourself." He said, "It has a curse in it. If anyone but her reads it, the curse will kill them."

"Really? What if I read it with her?"

"The curse will kill you."

Tsunade leaned forward. "So, how do you make the curse skip over her, hm?"

Gaara scowled at the woman, his first show of emotion since he appeared.

"I was raised a sand ninja. Not a fool."

Tsunade rolled her eyes and leaned back. Obviously, this course of action would not work. Gaara was one smart cookie.

"So, you didn't put her in a coma, eh?"

"You'll understand later. Good bye, Tsunade."

He turned and started to walk away, when Tsunade shouted, "Hey! Wait!"

With a stony yet faintly curious look on his face, he turned to look at Tsunade.

"What?"

Tsunade smirked and got in this confidant position in her chair.

"Since when did you harbor scars? Doesn't your body always automatically heal?"

Then, with a pen, she pointed to a thin, faint scar that ran through his tattoo, making a thin line where there was no black.

He didn't answer, but instead continued to walk in the same direction as before.

Gaara looked back at Tsunade one last time before walking to her window and jumping out in a puff of smoke and a whirl of sand.

Tsunade just shook her head, fingering the envelope. Her head rested on her palm, and her elbow sat on the table top of her oak desk.

"Gaara, some how, I think you have always had good intentions."

She chuckled to herself, and then pocketed the letter.

* * *

Sakura awoke with a start, and sat straight up; fear still in her eyes, and Gaara nowhere to be seen. As well as her room!

She ran her fingers through her hair, trying to figure out why she was in a hospital gown, in a hospital bed. What the hell is this?

"SAKURA! YOU'RE AWAKE!"

Suddenly, a flash of blonde came at her, and Naruto was hugging her. Rough hands gripped her back, and because of her shock, Sakura didn't have time to hug the boy back! Not that Naruto noticed. He just held her, smiling and moving back and forth. Sakura was okay!

Looking over to the side, Sakura saw that Uchiha Sasuke had made it as well, and had parked his butt in a chair across from her bed. He sat in a slouched, relaxed, cool kind of position, staring at her with his deep, dark eyes.

She shuddered, remembering how Gaara's had suddenly gone a million times blacker than Sasuke's.

Naruto finally let go and now sat next to her on her bed, smiling. Sasuke sat across from her in the chair, but something was weird.

"Um, what's going on?" Sakura asked the boys, clearly totally uninformed.

"Stupid Gaara did something to you, and then you went in a coma, and now you're awake." Naruto said quickly, saying Gaara's name as if he needed to spit in order to get the bad taste out of his mouth.

"So where's Gaara?" she asked, looking from one boy to the next.

"He took off." Sasuke answered, cutting Naruto off. "No one knows where he went, but he left that for you." He gestured toward the envelope on the table.

"Go ahead and read it. Naruto and me will go outside." Sasuke stood and grabbed the other boy by the collar. Naruto shouted and tried to beat the boy off, but Sasuke was still stronger. Even five years later, the boys still acted the same!

Sakura moved her legs so she sat on the edge of the bed, and opened the letter.

"_Sakura, _

_I had to leave. Thank you for all that you have done for me. But know this: Whereever you go, the sand will follow. _

_I will be back during the second spring. I promise. _

_Enclosed is the ninjutsu I used. After you read it, burn it, and never use it. _

_I'll come home. _

_-Gaara _

Sakura felt a light smile cover her lips. For all of the times Gaara had upset her, he had always intrigued her. Despite the past, she was happy to house him again, even if it was only for a few days like before. But what had he meant, about the sand always following her?

Suddenly, Sakura felt her hair begin to flutter lightly, and light gusts of wind began to fill the enclosed room. She gasped as she saw the sight before her unfold. From the envelope on the table were wisps of sand, swirling up out of the envelope like magic!

The tiny wisps floated close to her, and began to spin quickly around her body.

Finally, they lowered, and settled into her very skin.

She touched a place where one grain of sand had landed, right near her collarbone. In the gentle breeze that still remained, she thought she heard his voice.

He was coming home.

* * *

Tsunade came in without so much as a knock. Sakura looked up from her jello at the woman, a puzzled look on her face.

It was barely an hour after Sakura had gotten the letter. In the room with her were Sasuke, Naruto, a curious Neji, Kakashi, and Iruka.

Without any warning, Tsunade ran up to Sakura's bedside!

"Now, darling, don't fidget." Tsunade said quickly, and threw off Sakura's blankets!

Then, without any sort of remorse, Tsunade pushed Sakura's shirt up and tucked her shorts down, exposing her hipbone. Each of the males looked away, and Naruto was shocked. What was she doing to his Sakura?

Sakura tried to thrash, but Tsunade put her knee over Sakura's legs and then pinned her wrists with her free hand.

"Ah! What are you-"

"There!"

Tsunade had exposed a mark that Sakura had never seen before.

There, right next to her hipbone, was a sort of tattoo!

All eyes were on Sakura's skinny little hipbone, where the strange tattoo resided.

Strangest of all, Tsunade was now smiling! She stepped away, and Sakura now held the rim of her shorts down.

"Wh-what is it?" Sakura asked.

"Can't you tell?" Tsunade asked her, "Its kanji."

"For what?" Naruto blurted out.

"Heart."

Now Kakashi, Iruka, Neji and Sasuke smiled. Well, Neji and Sasuke's were smirks, but they all meant the same.

Naruto, however, was still confused.

"What's that got to do with anything?" he exclaimed.

"Gaara has the tattoo for love, stupid." Sasuke replied hotly, "Now Sakura has the tattoo for heart. Get it, love, heart?"

"He obviously saved her." Neji added.

Sakura stared at the kanji, and then ran her fingers over it.

"But…."

"Read the scroll, Sakura." Tsunade said to her, "Only you need to understand.

This is obviously privet, between you and Gaara."

Sasuke, Neji, Kakashi, and Iruka all looked at Tsunade with 'yea, right' looks, because they all knew that she knew exactly what Gaara had done. So much for privacy.

Then she left, shutting the door behind her.

Everyone was quiet until Naruto shouted, "I still say he got you in this mess!"

"Shut-up, idiot!" Sasuke snapped, and punched the blonde boy.

"Hey!"

The boys then began to fight, with Sasuke having the upper hand. The strangest part was that they were both sixteen, big, and acting like they were still twelve. Of course, by now, no one really noticed when they fought.

Neji's eyes narrowed. "Tattoos that are not manually gotten usually mean the worst. How can we be sure this isn't a curse, like Gaara transported Shukaku to Sakura?"

"No." Sakura replied bluntly.

Sasuke and Naruto paused to listen.

Sakura sat up, and leaned against the wall that her bed was against.

"Gaara is…strange, but he wouldn't give something he despises so to me. He believes it is…his destiny, to bear his curse, and to live through it."

Neji nodded, and closed his eyes, thinking.

"That crazy asshole? I believe Neji!" Naruto declared.

Neji's cold eyes cut at Naruto. "I never said it was my belief, dunce."

"Yea well-"

"Naruto, shut-up." Sakura glared at Naruto. "Gaara was a good person. I should know. He lived with me."

"If he's such a good person, why doesn't he just come and explain the mystery to us?" Sasuke challenged, "He left you in the worst state, and then gave you something none of us understand."

Kakashi stifled a laugh, and then felt shocked. Him and Iruka exchanged glances. Sasuke and Naruto never agreed!

"Sasuke-kun, he saved me." Sakura answered, "The mark he left was an aftermath. I know."

"How? And what did he have to save you from?" Sasuke exclaimed. He stood a foot from her bed, his eyes hard.

"I read the scroll, and burned it while you and Naruto were gone." She said, "He made a mistake…he saved me from himself. But in turn, he gave up apart of himself to save me. He could have left me to die!" Sakura's green eyes bore in Sasuke's, both angry.

"What ninjutsu was it?" Kakashi asked.

"It wasn't really a ninjutsu…I can't explain." Sakura shook her head. "It's confusing, and doesn't really make any sense if you think about it by the textbook. It was almost like he was transporting his soul."

"Or a demon's." Neji interrupted. He leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, and the shadows from the corner hid most of his figure. Kakashi and Iruka sat in chairs, and Kakashi slouched terribly.

"No!" Sakura shouted, "Listen to me! The first effect of having a demon in your body is flu-like symptoms, and later nightmares. I've had neither! That means I don't have Shukaku!"

Neji's eyes opened, and stared at Sakura. "I never said Shukaku. Gaara is a demon in himself, and he knows it. He has crossed that threshold, and no matter what you say or do, he is what he is. He has the same ability that Shukaku does…it just takes incidents like yours to show it."

Sakura paused, and looked at the sheets.

"Well then," she replied, "I do have a demon in me."

"…So what was his mistake?" Kakashi asked.

Sakura's eyebrows scrunched together. "I…can't really remember. I know something happened…something bad, but I feel like it's gone."

"It sounds like all of our questions won't be answered until he returns." Iruka sighed, "From wherever he is, whenever he will."

It was the only thing everyone in the room agreed on.

* * *

Hey ya'll!

Well, one of the all-revealing chapters is up. But with every new set of reviews, I start to contemplate posting an "answers" chapter once this is all over. There's only three more, after all! Two interludes and an epilogue!

So, yes, this is the final and last scar.

Anyway, when I write my Interludes, EVERYTHING is in italics, but when it gets uploaded, it suddenly becomes PARTLY italics! So, for future references, just in case, let it be known that EVERYTHING in the interludes should be in italics!

However, it is not over, and more questions will be answered next time!

Thank you, all of my reviewers!

Danny (Well, with your situation…I could understand not feeling the jump-start of coffee (lol). Anyway, in answer to your question, the interlude with Sakura was meant to be in the past, after the chunin exams. I thought it was a dead give away, since Sasuke's in the bed next to her. But, since I don't know anything about the end of the exam and on (although, I do know that Gaara left at the end, and all that…) I could've been confusing. But I also incorporated some hints, to clear things up for people. Anyway, I'm sorry the 'death' of Sakura made you mad…I thought and thought about it, and it was the only thing I could find that seemed to be something he would jump to! I knew he wouldn't just say 'yes' or 'no'…although, in this scar, you do get the feeling that it was a yes. You're probably mad now that Sakura's okay about his letter, but she doesn't remember! She doesn't remember those memories he gave her, or anything. She just remembers seeing his eyes, and then blacking out. She has no real reason to fear him. So, thus, she was glad to accept him back. Okay, about the 'seven deaths'…honestly, I came up with this one off the top of my head. I only gave it a reason as of late. And, I'm still debating it! I thought asking others what they thought would help me narrow down choices. The thing is, I try to stay relatively close to the manga, but Gaara has a lot of gaps for me, like how he got his tattoo, and all of that. I'm still learning, even though I did tons of research on him before writing this! My choices, however, are this: Seven for the seven sins: gluttony, greed, ect; seven deaths for the seven chosen to become sacrifices for Shukaku (I made that up, though); and seven because it is considered the median number between heaven and hell (666hell, 999heaven). Still debating though…Thank you for your in-depth reviews!)

Hao's Anjul (Sorry you were confused! Let me clear it up for you: Sakura was in a hospital with Sasuke after the chunin exams. The last sentences were meant to solve some of the puzzles in this story! Let me know what you think of this chapter!)

Fayofsand (I'm glad you've enjoyed this so far! Things are certainly happening, but not much is left! Let me know your thoughts on this chapter!)

Queen Cow and Steak (What, I wasn't on the favorites list before? Lol, just kidding…it's fine with me! And, it's really AWSOME to know that I'm on a favorite's list! Does a happy dance YAY! No, seriously, I'm really excited! The last chapter was dark, but I like to write dark things once in a while. They keep writing happy things interesting! Tell me what you think of these chapters!)

Review,

Love,

IHearVoices


	13. Interlude of the Senses: Piece 7

Hate Me

A Naruto fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_**Interlude of the Senses: Piece 7** _

_He flailed about, shouting, and in a sudden fluid motion, shot a kunai into his arm. His eyes were open and wild, but unfocused. The warm crimson fell down his arm, and dripped on the green grass as he grit his teeth, looking around at the trees. _

_But he did not see trees. He saw three men, all beaten to near death, and one woman, with wide blue eyes, crouched against a tree. _

_In his mind, he ran forward, taking the kunai and swiping it against the man's neck, and with a shout, he fell to his knees, grasping the deep, fatal cut. The red still seeped through his neck, and he coughed. _

_But in the outside world, Gaara had swiped the kunai against his own arm. He seemed crazed, as he dashed forward and then stopped to rake the blade of the kunai against his own face. But he saw the woman cry out and fall dead. _

_The ninja in the bushes couldn't help but cackle. _

_He did not see Gaara's illusion…he saw him killing himself! _

_However, he forgot that Gaara could hear, smell, taste beyond his illusion. _

_He heard the cackle, and licked his lips. _

_Prey. _

_His body turned toward the bushes, and the remaining man, in his mind, dashed away. _

_He plunged at the bushes, and sent his sand in. _

_Then the strangest thing happened. _

_The dead woman and man disappeared…the blood splattered on the ground was gone! _

_And he saw all of the wounds on himself! _

_Yet, in his sand, was a man, shouting and trying to escape. _

_On his headband was the sand village sign, and his eyes were none other than sharingan. _

"_What have you done?" Gaara shouted. _

_The man looked at Gaara in fear, and then let out a sharp cry as the sand squeezed. _

"_I have taken revenge!" the man cried. _

_Not understanding, Gaara let the sand envelope the man's face. _

_He died, and Gaara left him that way. _

_A crushed body, filled with the answers to his questions. _

_But Gaara had known him. _

_He was his mother's best friend, his uncle's comrade, his father's advisor…a physic. He took his sharingan and used it with dark magic. He knew that man had given him all of those experiences, those wounds… _

_But he didn't know which of the memories, or dreams, were real. _

_What he did know was that there was more than one of him, and that he was working for someone else. Although this man was a friend to many people in the sand village, he didn't take revenge without motivation, and this time Gaara knew it was money. _

_The ninja would have tried to kill him sooner if it hadn't been. _

_In his daze, Gaara returned home, and fasted for a week to clear his mind, to try and figure out what memory was real and what wasn't. _

_But he couldn't do it. _

_They all seemed the same. _


	14. Interlude of the Senses: Piece 8

Hate Me

A Naruto fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

_Interlude of the Senses: Piece 8 _

_He felt he had done the right thing. _

_And although scars lined his back and chest now, he had thanked the one who had given him such a kekki genkai… _

_His mother. _

_How else had he received his tattoo, after all? _

_He would thank who knew the one who had made him such a demon, such a dark, hellish thing…by god, he would thank her, every day…. _

_Because he had saved the girl who had saved him, thanks to that technique. _

"_Thank you, mother." _


	15. Keloid Epilogue

Hate Me

A Naruto fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Keloid Epilogue

She sat in her window seat, leaning against the pane of the open window. The seat was below the windowpane, so she wouldn't fall. The moon was full, and the sky dotted in stars. A warm, gentle wind blew in, caressing her pink locks and slightly darker skin.

It was spring. And not just any spring…the spring he should return. Sakura had waited by her window last year as well; hoping the word 'second' in his good-bye letter had been a mistake. Although, Gaara wasn't one to make mistakes; he was very cautious about everything but his own life.

Everyone had moved on, forgotten the year before, when Sakura had lost all remembrance of an event that had some how changed everything. They hadn't remembered it at least every other day, mostly every day. Everyone had forgotten.

Except Sakura.

Her training room was still waiting for him, the sheets clean, the bed down and the weights and kunai put in their proper places. The tattoo still resided next to her hipbone, and she still had the clothes he had left at her house. She had washed them and laid them on his bed in a pile so he could change when he got home.

Life hadn't changed that much. Tsunade ended up making two ANBU teams, since Naruto and Sasuke couldn't stop fighting over a captain position. Kakashi was becoming that wise, weird old man you went to for answers. Iruka still went with Naruto to the ramen bar, and Sakura went grocery shopping with Naruto every Tuesday morning.

Ino was openly dating Shikamaru, always ready to brag about how wonderful he was to her.

Naruto blew off Sakura for the first time in his life to go fishing with Hinata. Sadly, he and Kiba ended up being hospitalized after a particularly bloody fight.

Sasuke was gone most of the time. But one night, he came by her apartment "because I haven't seen you in a while". Although she wondered if this was the truth, she had learned long before to not get too excited. There fore, she relaxed, just enjoying the company of her old teammate. Having him around was a treat in itself.

Tonight wasn't special, and since it was already the fourth week of spring, Sakura had little hope left. But she would wait until summer was upon them before anything.

She snuggled up to the window, holding her cup of green tea in hand.

Her brows furrowed as they drifted to some place else.

It was true, she hadn't forgotten Gaara's short stay, or the affect he had had upon the lives around him. She was glad to be alive, and glad he was out doing what he needed to do, whatever that was. She hoped that when he did come home, he would tell her, and she would finally understand the sporadic, insomniac, insane mind of Gaara of the sand. It would certainly be…a journey, a very interesting journey, that much was for sure.

She wanted to know so much! She wanted to know if her mark was the same as the one on his head, or had some connection to how they both got it. Was she safe? She had forgotten everything after seeing Gaara's eyes; so what had happened after? She knew something had happened…

"What're you thinking about?"

Sakura's eyes blew open, and she looked behind her.

Speak of the devil!

Gaara stood in front of her, and much to her surprise, there was a scar upon his cheek. She had never seen him have a scar before!

"Gaara!" She exclaimed, and stood, "Wh-what are you doing? Where have you been? I mean-"

Gaara's head cocked to the side, and he smirked. "We've never been very good at talking over green tea. How about water, or just plain tea?"

Sakura smiled warmly. So he did have some humane part of him after all; although, she could still sense the crazed air about him.

"Sounds great." She replied, "How about you drop your gourd by the door?"

She walked up to Gaara, and looked him up and down. His clothes were ripped and dirty!

"I left all my things here." He told her, since he had noticed her looking.

"Well, there's a fresh set on your bed." She answered. She walked past him, and he turned to watch her walk into the kitchen, her back facing him.

"And I'll get that pot of tea going while you change."

Gaara just nodded, and disappeared into his room. _His_ room.

This was truly a revelation.

Maybe things would change. Maybe things would get better…a lot better. Maybe he would be able to deal with his demons better here. Konoha was a quiet, peaceful place…or it was the most peaceful place he'd ever been. It had a serene, liveliness about it.

Maybe things would mend themselves.

Maybe all of his scars, just like the wounds from the psychic, would heal.

Keloid tissue was the least of his worries, after all.


	16. The Cause of Keloids

Hate Me

A Naruto fan-fiction

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

The Cause of Keloids

A lot of this is in response to Danny, who gave me the best ideas of what to say, or, answer.

I won't explain everything, since some of it is just my little secret.

This is my theory, piece by piece:

I didn't know anything past the chunin exams, and there fore created by own idea of how things happened for Gaara later. I could never imagine someone as deep as him (in my mind, mind you) giving up all of his ways over one speech by a blonde haired maverick. I couldn't do it. So I created my own idea of what eventually pushed him over the edge.

Basically, Gaara had four years to think things over. Since Naruto's speech did do something, he left, about a month after the chunin exams, for a journey to find something, to understand it, and find his worth in it. The thing he was looking for is, actually, revealed, but you have to think. I don't even imply it, but it should be obvious. During those two years that he journeyed, he was mentally assaulted, as you know. After killing the man who was doing it, he came home.

By this point, Gaara had come to the conclusion that he not only had no point in life, but also did not deserve what he had been searching for. His old motto was "to live by myself, and to love myself" but that changed to "live by myself, that I should not spread my own disease". He began to think of himself as pointless, a thing erupted from the depths of hell. Basically, he was suicidal. The problem? He couldn't kill himself, and neither could others. But killing others never stopped for him. Although he wanted to do away with himself, the idea of not doing away with others, which was still his focal point in life, seemed stupid. A part of him believed this was because it was the only thing he felt he could do; another part of him loved the rush.

By now, Gaara is living in a dark place, in reality and in his mind. The memories of his two-year escapade and the exams, as well as sprinklings of child hood and recent memories, plagued him. Everywhere he went, when he saw any kind of companion ship, a kind of curiosity arose in him, and words flooded to his mind.

When Gaara first met Sakura, he wasn't as surprised at Naruto's defense and her casual greetings with Tsunade, but her episode with Rock Lee at the apartment was very strange for him. Eventually things piled up, and the more time he spent with this sweet, happy, people-surrounded cherry blossom with a quick attitude and simple thoughts, the more he felt overwhelmed, possibly even alienated. When she finally offered him friendship, a part of him that had died away since the exams began to come back to him in waves. It was the same part of him and remembered his uncle's betrayal, his siblings fear, and so much more. Anyone and everyone that had ever offered him a companionship had hurt him, or he had hurt them. He felt, in his uncertain, spinning moment that he had to show her, "make her see". It was the only thing that made sense to him, so he grabbed it and ran with it.

This lead to Sakura's short death. In his rush, Gaara had never considered the fact that Sakura could die, even though he screamed it at her…he had used it more as a tool to induce fear, in hope that she would take back her offer and banish him. When he realized he had killed her, the "disease" spread again, attacking him, and he resorted to saving her, at the cost of apart of the curse that keeps him alive. Because part of his curse is gone, or is weaker, when he came back to see her, he had a large scar across his cheek.

Sakura had known from the day he had slapped her that this wasn't going to end neatly. But she felt that if she helped him, it would be enough. With that resolution, she did what ever she could to help him.

Gaara returned because he felt a kind of peace at Konoha, and felt it was the best place for him to regroup, recreate himself, that he might lead the life he had always seen in others. He would never become like any normal person, but at least he would live a bit more normally, and learn what it was to live, love, and learn.

In addition to not knowing what happened to the exams, I also did not know why he had his tattoo, so I made up the Seven Deaths curse. Her gave part of his curse to Sakura, because he knew that with it she would forget her death, i.e., the memories, and that it would bring her back to full health. The sand was his own personal touch, because being a killer made him realize that you could die at any time, and he wanted her alive when he came home.

When Danny told me that he went to the sand village and became Hokage, I decided to add that to my little story line. So, in my head, I now made it that he recuperates in Konoha, and the leaves to bring that kind of peace to his real home. Sakura and him are still close.

Thank you, for reading this. It means a lot.

And if a sequel is in demand…well, you never know, do you?

It does take time to heal wounds and scars, and surgeries to be rid of keloid tissue.

In conclusion, thank you all for reading this, and reviewing.

IHearVoices


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